FROM   THE   LIBRARY  OF 


REV.   LOUIS    FITZGERALD    BENSON,   D.  D. 


BEQUEATHED    BY   HIM   TO 

THE  LIBRARY  OF 

PRINCETON  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 


Iwry 


Al   <5%i 


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gfeiC 


X 


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LIFE 


OP 


JEREMY  BELKNAP,  D.D. 

THE  HISTORIAN  OF  NEW  HAMPSHIRE. 


SELECTIONS  FROM  HIS  CORRESPONDENCE 
AND  OTHER  WRITINGS. 


COLLECTED  AND  ARRANGED 

BY 

HIS    GRAND-DAUGHTER. 


NEW  YORK: 

HARPER    AND    BROTHERS, 

82     CLIFF     STREET. 

1847. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1847 

BY  HARPER  &  BROTHERS, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  Southern  District  of  New  York. 


PREFACE. 


The  subject  of  the  following  memoir  left,  at  his 
decease,  many  letters  and  some  other  manuscripts, 
in  the  possession  of  his  family,  which  were  care- 
fully preserved,  though  at  the  time  they  had  no 
thought  of  making  them  public. 

During  the  many  years  that  have  since  passed, 
most  of  his  contemporaries  have  disappeared.  The 
results  of  some  of  his  labors  have  been  claimed  for 
others,  and  some  of  his  actions  have  been  errone- 
ously represented.  His  name,  already  indissolubly 
connected  with  the  history  of  New  Hampshire,  has 
recently  been  given  to  a  new  county  formed  in  that 
state,  and  has  been  used  to  designate  several  private 
corporations.  Those  who  may  desire  to  learn  some- 
thing of  his  life  and  character  may  find  that  obitu- 
ary  notices,   and   the    periodical    publications   of 


PREFACE. 

former  years,  yield  but  scanty  and  unsatisfactory 

information. 

These  and  other  reasons  have  led  his  immediate 

descendants    to  encourage  the  publication  of  this 

volume,   which    is   composed  chiefly    of   his   own 

writings. 

J.  B. 

Boston,  July  19tli,  1847. 


CONTENTS. 


Preface. 


Page 


CHAPTER  I. 

1744—1767. 

Birth  and  Parentage  of  Dr.  Belknap.  —  His  early 
Education.  —  College  Life.  —  Schools  at  Milton 
and  Greenland.  —  Studies  for  the  Ministry. —  " 
Correspondence  with  Dr.  Byles.  —  Invitation  to 
Boston.  —  He  proposes  to  teach  the  Indians.  — 
Begins  to  Preach.  —  Halfway  Covenant.  —  In- 
vitation to  Dover.  —  Ordination 9 

CHAPTER  H. 

1767—1774. 

His  Marriage.  —  Correspondence  with  Capt.  Wal- 
dron.  —  Letters  to  Peter  Thacher.  —  Letter  to 
his  Father.  —  Sandemanians.  —  Letter  to  Capt. 
Waldron.  —  Sermon  on  Military  Duty.  —  Cor- 
respondence  with  Governor  Wentworth.  —  Letter 
to  the  Selectmen.  —  Letter  to  a  Collegian.  —  To 
Rev.  Joh a  Stafford.  —  Sp in n ing  Match 34 


4  CONTEXTS. 

CHAPTER  in. 
1774—1782. 

Journey  to  Dartmouth  College. —  Correspondence 
with  Colonel  Phillips.  —  Excitement  at  Ports- 
mouth.—  Address  to  People  of  New  Hampshire. 
—  Address  to  British  Officers.  —  Extracts  from 
Commonplace  Booh.  —  Breaking  out  of  Hostili- 
ties.—  Mr.  Belknap  is  invited  to  be  Chaplain  to 
the  Troops  at  Cambridge.  —  Visits  the  Camp. — 
Letters  of  Dr.  A.  Eliot 65 

CHAPTER  IV. 

1782—1786. 

Condition  of  the  Family.  —  Journey  to  White 
Hills.  —  Election  Sermon.  —  Journey  to  Phila- 
delphia. —  Parish  Difficulties.  —  He  leaves  Do* 
ver.  —  Letter  to  President  Willard. —  Various 
Proposals  of  Friends.  —  Letter  from  Exeter...   102 

CHAPTER  V. 

1784—1788. 

The  History  of  New  Hampshire.  —  Letter  to  Gen. 
Washington,  and  Reply.  —  Invitation  from  the 
Church  in  Federal  Street,  Boston.  —  Letter  from 
Proprietors,  and  Reply.  —  Anonymous  Accusa- 
tion, and  Defence.  —  Installation. —  Various 
Occupations.  —  Correspondence  with  Dr.  Rush.    126 


CONTENTS.  5 

CHAPTER  VI. 

1788—1792. 

Exertions  to  abolish  the  Slave  Trade. —  Tliree  Bills 
of  Sale,  and  Certificates  of  Manumission.  — 
Letter  of  Cato  Baker.  —  Anecdote.  —  Cor  res- 
pondence  with  Moses  Brown.  —  Correspondence 
with  David  Howell.  —  Adoption  of  Federal  Con- 
stitution. —  Visit  of  Washington  to  Boston.  — 
Death  of  Mr.  Belknap's  son  Samuel.  —  Sermon 
at  the  Installation  of  Dr.  Morse.  —  Extracts 
from  Letters  of  John  Adams.  —  Degree  of  D.D. 
conferred  on  Mr.  Belknap.  —  Increase  of  Fed- 
eral Street  Society. —  Century  Discourse 159 

CHAPTER  VH. 

1791—1797. 

Historical  Society  of  Massachusetts.  —  Correspond- 
ence with  Governor  Wentworth.  —  Ante-  Colum- 
bian Discovery  of  America. — Third  Volume  of 
the  History  published.  —  Attempt  to  reprint  it 
in  a  Newspaper  prevented.  —  The  Foresters 
published.  —  Extract  from  the  Foresters 184 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

1794—1797. 

American  Biography  published.  —  Judge  Jay's 
Opinion.  —  Extracts  from  the  Preface  of  Hub- 
bard's New  Edition.  —  Letter  to  Mr.  Hazard. 


6  CONTEXTS. 

—  General  Knox.  —  Dissertations,  Extract. — 
Psalms  and  Hymns.  —  Letter  from  a  Gentle- 
man of  Portland.  —  Dislike  to  Controversy.  — 
Anecdotes 212 

CHAPTER  IX. 

1796—1798. 

Convention  Sermon.  —  ATissionary  Visit  to  the 
Oneida  Indians.  —  Letters  from  Dr.  Clarke. — 
Correspondence  with  Mrs.  John  Adams. — Expe- 
dition to  Cuttyhnnk.  —  Last  Illness  and  Death. 

—  Character.  —  Theological  Opinioris.  — No- 
tice of  Mrs.  Belknap.  —  Dr.  Belknap's  Life  of 
Dr.  Watts 228 


JEREMY   BELKNAP. 


CHAPTER  I. 

1744—1767. 


Birth  and  Parentage  of  Dr.  Belknap.  — His  early 
Education.  —  College  Life.  —  Schools  at  Milton 
and  Greenland.  —  Studies  for  the  Ministry.  — 
Correspondence  with  Dr.  Byles.  — Invitation  to 
Boston. — Se  proposes  to  teach  the  Indians. — 
Begins  to  Preach. — Half  Way  Covenant. —  In- 
vitation  to  Dover.  —  Ordination. 

The  name  of  Belknap  appears  to  be  of  Norman 
origin.  It  is  found  in  the  list  of  those  among  whom 
the  lands  of  England  were  divided  after  the  con- 
quest by  the  Duke  of  Normandy ;  and,  in  the  follow- 
ing reigns,  several  of  the  name  are  mentioned  as 
judges,  as  sheriffs,  and  as  otherwise  connected  with 
the  practice  of  the  law.  It  is  also  observed  in  the 
early  records  of  the  settlement  of  this  country. 
How  many  of  the  name  came  over  from  England 
has  never  been  ascertained.  Abraham  Belknap  was 
a  resident  in  Lynn,  Massachusetts,  in  the  year  1637 ; 


10  LIFE  OF  DR.    BELKNAP. 

and  the  next  year,  in  a  division  of  lands  there,  he 
received  forty  acres.  Joseph  Belknap,  one  of  the 
earliest  members  of  the  Old  South  Church,  is  the 
first  of  the  family  known  to  have  lived  in  Boston. 
He  died  in  1712,  aged  82,  and  is  buried  in  the  old 
burying  ground  adjoining  King's  Chapel. 

Jeremiah,  a  son  of  the  preceding  and  grandfather 
of  Dr.  Belknap,  owned  houses  and  lands  in  several 
parts  of  Boston  ;  and  a  street,  near  some  of  his  prop- 
erty in  the  western  part  of  the  city,  bears  the  name 
of  Belknap.  He  had  nine  children,  two  of  whom 
were  sons  ;  the  elder  named  Joseph,  the  younger, 
Jeremiah.  The  latter  was  the  father  of  Jeremiah 
and  Mary  Belknap,  who,  in  1830  and  1832,  made 
large  bequests  to  the  Massachusetts  General  Hos- 
pital. The  elder  son  Joseph,  father  of  the  subject 
of  this  memoir,  was  born  on  the  12th  of  February, 
1717,  and  married,  on  the  30th  of  July,  1741,  Sarah 
Byles,  niece  of  the  celebrated  Mather  Byles.  He 
carried  on  the  trade  of  a  leather-dresser  and  dealer 
in  furs  and  skins,  and  had  a  shop  in  the  front  part 
of  his  house  in  Ann  Street. 

Jeremiah  Belknap  was  their  eldest  child.  He 
was  born  on  the  4th  of  June,  1744.  There  were 
several  other  children,  only  one  of  whom,  a  daugh- 
ter named  Abigail,  lived  to  mature  age. 

The  earliest  relic  of  Jeremiah's  childhood  is  a 
paper  containing  notes  of  sermons  preached  at  the 
Old  South  Church  by  "Dom  Williams,"  in  the  year 


HIS    EDUCATION.  11 

1754.  Each  sermon  is  divided  into  its  different 
heads,  and  carefully  dated  ;  showing  that  the  habits 
of  order  and  neatness  which  distinguished  him 
through  life  were  thus  early  acquired. 

His  education  was  commenced  at  the  school  of 
Mr.  Lovell,  where  he  must  have  been  studious ;  for 
he  entered  Harvard  College  on  the  5th  of  Decem- 
ber, 1758,  in  his  fifteenth  year. 

At  this  period  he  noted  down  the  weather  daily, 
and  such  events  as  were  worthy  of  remembrance,  in 
the  first  of  a  series  of  interleaved  Almanacs,  which 
he  continued  to  employ  in  the  same  manner,  with  the 
exception  of  a  few  years,  during  his  life.  The  most 
important  events  noted  in  this  year  are  the  reduc- 
tion of  Louisburg  and  Fort  Duquesne,  and  the 
expedition  to  Crown  Point  and  Ticonderoga.  Com- 
mencement day,  the  18th  of  July,  1759,  is  remarked 
upon  as  "  excessive  hot ;  "  a  quality  which  usually 
belongs  to  it  now  :  but  an  item  written  in  the  follow- 
ing September  is  rather  strange  to  those  who  are 
acquainted  with  Cambridge  in  these  days  :  "  A 
great  many  bears  killed  at  Camb :  and  the  neigh- 
boring towns  about  this  time,  and  several  persons 
killed  by  them."  Beside  these  Almanacs,  he  had 
little  manuscript  books  entitled  "  Quotidiana  Miscel- 
lanea 1,  2,  3,  &c,"  into  which  he  copied  extracts 
from  the  various  books  he  was  reading  or  studying  ; 
and  the  first  entry  in  the  earliest  of  these  is  an  ex- 
tract from  "  Eckard's  Roman  History,  vol.  i.  preface 


12  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

—  page  1,"  which  is  interesting,  as  showing  his 
estimation,  at  this  youthful  period,  of  a  character 
he  subsequently  sustained  so  well  :  "  There  are 
required  so  many  qualifications  and  accomplish- 
ments in  an  Historian,  and  so  much  care  and  nice- 
ness  in  writing  an  history,  that  some  have  reckoned 
it  one  of  the  most  difficult  labors  human  nature  is 
capable  of." 

Among  his  college  exercises,  several  of  which  are 
still  preserved,  is  one  styled  a  "  Theme,  being  the 
employment  of  some  leisure  time,  Xov.  4th,  1759." 
The  subject  treated  is  "  The  generous  man  is  a 
blessing  to  all  mankind."  It  is  divided  into  propo- 
sition, reason,  similitude,  example,  testimony,  and 
conclusion  ;  which  conclusion  is,  "  Wherefore  every 
one  who  is  in  a  capacity  to  do  good  to  others  is 
bound  both  by  the  laws  of  God  and  nature  to  do  it ; 
and  it  behoves  every  one  to  relieve  those  of  his  fel- 
low-creatures who  stand  in  need  of  it,  as  far  as  in 
him  lies,  that  he  may  be  at  last  remunerated  by  his 
God  with  this  Euge,  '  Well  done,  good  and  faithful 
servant,  enter  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord  !  '  J.  Bel- 
knap."— How  truly  these  were  the  sentiments  of  his 
heart,  and  how  constantly  through  life  he  acted  upon 
a  principle  thus  early  adopted,  will  be  seen  by  the 
reader  of  the  following  pages. 

His  college  life  was  passed  quietly  in  the  pursuit 
of  his  studies,  with  some  intervals  occasioned  by 
sickness.     He  was  graduated  on  the  21st  of  July, 


ENGAGES    IN   TEACHING.  13 

1762,  and  on  the  10th  of  August  began  to  keep 
the  public  grammar  school  at  Milton ;  an  employ- 
ment then,  as  now,  often  chosen  by  young  men, 
while  preparing  for  the  business  of  after  life. 

As  the  master  of  a  public  school,  he  held  a 
responsible  station  for  one  so  young  ;  yet  he  acquitted 
himself  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  town  ;  for,  after 
leaving  Milton  a  short  time  during  the  next  winter, 
he  returned  at  the  unanimous  request  of  the  select- 
men, and  remained  until  March  in  1764. 

He  was  one  whom  companions  and  friends  not 
only  love,  but  reverence  at  an  early  age.  The  sin- 
cerity of  his  character,  and  his  affectionate  desire  to 
serve  those  around  him  in  any  way  in  his  power, 
even  though  he  could  not  approve  the  matter  him- 
self, are  shown  in  the  following  extract  from  a  letter 
written  the  autumn  after  he  was  graduated,  to  a 
young  friend  at  Cambridge  who  had  requested  his 
aid  in  composing  a  theme  on  the  Immortality  of  the 
Soul.  He  sent  the  theme,  and  in  the  letter  he 
says : 

"Milton,  October  8th,  1762. 

"  My  dearest  Friend, 

"  I  received  yours  of  the  3d  inst.  and  have 
endeavored  to  comply  with  your  request ;  whether 
satisfactorily  or  no,  you  may  judge.  As  I  never 
showed  any  reluctance  in  obliging  you  in  any  re- 
spect, you  may  be  assured  that  I  did  this  with  the 


14  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 


greatest  pleasure.  And  though  I  shall  never  be 
loth  to  serve  you  in  the  same  manner,  yet  I  cannot 
recommend  it  to  you  to  pursue  this  method,  but  wish 
that  you  would  endeavor  to  acquire  a  better  talent 
at  composition.  It  would  be  an  unspeakable  advan- 
tage to  you.  Do  not  let  your  genius  lie  uncultivated, 
and  your  abilities  and  faculties  be  any  longer  dor- 
mant, but  only  put  them  once  in  action,  and  they  will 
continue  to  supply  you  with  whatever  you  want  in 
this  way  with  the  greatest  ease.  I  speak  experi- 
mentally." 

He  continued  to  keep  school  while  completing  his 
studies  for  the  ministry,  and  in  December,  1764,  he 
removed  to  Portsmouth  in  New  Hampshire  to  take 
charge  of  the  English  school,  and  boarded  in  the 
family  of  the  Rev.  Samuel  Haven.  The  next  sum- 
mer he  kept  school  at  Greenland,  a  small  town  six 
miles  from  Portsmouth,  where  he  remained  until 
called  to  the  duties  of  a  minister  of  the  gospel.  His 
conscientiousness  was  very  great,  and  he  forbore  to 
preach,  until  he  felt  himself  qualified.  Meanwhile 
he  suffered  much  from  misgivings  and  fears. 

His  parents  anticipated  with  eager  hopes  the  time 
when  this  their  beloved  and  only  son  should  enter 
into  the  Christian  ministry  ;  and  while  he  was  under 
the  influence  of  feelings  which  made  him  fear  he 
should  disappoint  their  expectations,  he  wrote  the 
following  letter  to  his  mother's  uncle,  Mather  Byles, 


CORRESPONDENCE    WITH   DR.    BYLES.  15 

disclosing  the  state  of  his  mind,  and  requesting  him 
to  communicate  it  to  his  parents  : 

"  September  5th,  1765. 

"  Rev.  and  Honored  Sir, 

"You  have  often  talked  with  me  about 
preaching,  and  I  have  seemed  to  decline  it ;  but  I 
never  gave  you  my  reasons  for  it,  nor  could  I  have 
done  it  so  clearly  and  distinctly  by  speaking,  as  I 
can  by  writing. 

"  I  think  myself  bound  in  duty  to  let  my  parents 
know  of  my  grand  objection  ;  but,  having  never  yet 
revealed  it  to  them,  I  hereby  request  you  to  do  it, 
when  you  have  opportunity,  in  such  a  manner  as 
you  think  most  proper. 

"  It  is  a  fixed  and  settled  opinion  with  me,  that 
no  person  ought  to  take  on  him  the  office  of  a  min- 
ister of  the  gospel,  unless  he  has  experienced  the 
renovating  power  of  it  on  his  own  soul ;  but,  un- 
happy me  !  I  have  never  experienced  this,  and 
therefore  I  dare  not  preach,  though  I  have  been 
much  urged  to  it. 

"  But  now  this  thought  will  immediately  start 
into  your  mind  :  How  dare  you  join  with  the  church 
of  Christ  in  their  sacred  communion  ?  Alas  !  dear 
Sir,  when  I  asked  admission  into  the  church,  I  was 
deceived  with  regard  to  my  condition.  I  had  be- 
fore had  many  agonies  of  soul,  and  in  the  midst  of 
these  agonies  resolved  to  be  the  Lord's ;   but  God 


16  LIFE   OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

himself  knows  that  I  never  experienced  a  saving 
change.  I  thought  myself  a  proper  recipient  of  the 
Holy  Supper,  according  to  Dr.  Sewall's  descrip- 
tion, viz.  —  one  that  hungered  and  thirsted  for  right- 
eousness and  salvation  by  Jesus  Christ,  and  was 
content  to  be  saved  in  the  gospel  way.  But  since, 
I  have  found  by  undeniable  evidence,  that  I  am  yet 
in  a  state  of  unrenewed  nature,  and  farther  from 
God  than  ever  ;  and,  in  consequence  of  this,  I  have 
for  some  time  refrained  my  sacrilegious  hands. 
******* 

"  This  is  my  present  condition.     I  request  your 
most  fervent  prayers  for  me,  and  your  best  advice. 
"  I  am,  Rev.  Sir,  with  sincere  esteem  and  respect, 
"  Your  unworthy  Friend, 

"J.  B." 

To  this  letter  he  received  the  following  affection- 
ate reply  : 

"My  Dear  Child, 

"It  is  with  a  mixture  of  pleasure  and  sor- 
row that  I  read  your  letter.  I  am  pleased  to  see 
your  great  care  not  to  enter  the  ministry  in  a  state 
of  unrenewed  nature  ;  and  I  am  grieved  at  your 
censure  upon  yourself.  It  is  impossible  for  your 
uncle  to  write  particularly  to  so  general  a  state  of 
the  case ;  but  I  wish  I  could  have  a  personal  con- 
ference with  you.     That  divinity  is   undoubtedly 


CORRESPONDENCE    WITH    DR.    BYLES.  17 

true  which  Dr.  Sewall  gave  you  :  '  He  that  con- 
sents to  be  saved  by  Christ  in  his  own  way,  has 
saving  faith.'  '  He  who  hungers  and  thirsts  after 
righteousness,  has  a  right  to  the  Lord's  table.' 
Nor  have  you  informed  me  how  you  are  certain 
this  was  not  your  case.  Perhaps  you  are  conscious 
to  the  prevailing  power  of  some  temptation,  which 
yet  you  abhor,  and  pray  and  watch  against.  But, 
while  your  sin  really  is  your  burthen,  the  way  to 
obtain  strength  under  it  certainly  is  not  to  turn 
your  back  upon  the  Lord's  table.  God,  who  sees 
your  infirmities,  sees  also  your  resistance,  your 
agonies,  your  repentances.  But  I  talk  at  random. 
Could  I  see  you,  I  might  perhaps  speak  more  to 
the  purpose. 

"I  am  pleased  to  see  your  regards  to  the  work 
of  the  ministry.  '  'T  is  what  you  choose.'  And 
why  do  you  choose  it?  Perhaps  answering  this 
very  question  to  yourself  may  relieve  your  anxious 
heart. 

"  May  God  bless  you,  my  son,  and  sanctify  and 
comfort  you ;  and  introduce  you,  with  the  noblest 
preparation,  into  the  ministry. 

"  So  prays  your  affectionate 

"M.  Byees." 

In  the  rejoinder  to  this  letter  of  Dr.  Byles, 
Mr.  Belknap  writes  as  though  relieved  in  a  meas- 
ure from  his  previous  state  of  doubt  and  depression. 


18  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

"  Greenland,  October  7th,  1765. 

"  Rev.  aot)  Dear  Sir, 

"  I  thank  you  for  your  kind  letter,  by  my 
father.  I  hope  your  prayers  and  the  prayers  of 
my  other  friends  have  been  presented  on  the 
golden  altar  before  the  throne  of  God,  and  been 
acceptable  to  him,  as  sweet  incense.  Pray  to  God 
for  me,  that  I  may  not  be  mistaken  in  a  matter  of 
such  everlasting  importance ;  that  I  may  not  build 
on  a  false  foundation.  I  should  be  glad  of  a  per- 
sonal converse  with  you  on  the  important  affairs  of 
my  soul  and  eternity,  but  am  afraid  I  should  not 
be  able  to  express  my  thoughts  with  that  freedom 
and  ease  that  you  would  expect  and  desire.  I  be- 
lieve I  shall  not  be  able  to  come  to  Boston  till 
November.  In  the  mean  time  I  beseech  you,  dear 
Sir,  to  use  your  interest  at  the  throne  of  grace  in 
praying  that  I  may  be  thoroughly  furnished  to 
every  good  work. 

"  Your  dutiful  and  obliged." 

In  November,  1765,  the  usher  of  the  free  gram- 
mar school  at  the  North  End  of  Boston  died ;  and 
the  selectmen  unanimously  elected  Mr.  Belknap  to 
fill  the  vacancy ;  requesting  him  to  come  speedily, 
as  Mr.  Wiswell,  the  master  of  the  school,  was  very 
aged  and  infirm. 

This  tempting  proposal  he  steadily  declined, — 
thinking  the  increase  of  salary,  and  the  more  eligi- 


INVITED    TO   BOSTON.  19 

ble  position  it  offered,  no  excuse  for  leaving  unful- 
filled his  engagement  at  Greenland.  The  prospect 
of  home  and  friends  failed  to  shake  his  sense  of 
justice  and  right,  and  he  remained  quietly  where 
he  was.  A  mutilated  portion  of  his  reply  to  the 
letter  of  the  town  clerk  remains : 

"  To  accept  your  invitation  at  this  time  would 
be  vastly  less  advantageous  to  the  town  of  Boston, 
than  detrimental  to  the  people  of  this  place ;  and 
I  am  not  willing  to  injure  them  in  the  least  degree. 
A  quiet  and  comfortable  country  life  is  the  greatest 
temporal  happiness  that  I  wish  to  enjoy,  and  I  am 
perfectly  contented  with  my  present  situation." 

Shortly  after  refusing  this  inviting  proposal,  the 
reading  of  Wheelock's  Second  Narrative  suggested 
to  his  mind  the  idea  of  devoting  himself  for  a  time 
to  the  work  of  instructing  the  Indians  at  the  school 
in  Lebanon,  Connecticut.  In  pursuance  of  this 
design,  he  wrote  the  following  letter  to  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Haven,  requesting  his  advice  : 

"  To  the  Revd.  Mr.  Haven,  at  Portsmouth. 

"  Greenland,  January  1st,  1766. 

"  Revd.  akd  Dear  Sir, 

"  Being  prevented  from  visiting  you,  both 
by  the  severity  of  the  season  and  the  necessity  of 
a  close  attention  to  the  duties  of  my  station,  I 
take  this  method  of  asking   your  friendly  advice 


20  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

on  a  point  which  at  present  engages  most  of  my 
thoughts. 

"  I  am  sensible  that  a  great  load  of  guilt  lies 
heavy  on  this  land  in  neglecting  the  means  which 
may  be  used  for  the  conversion  of  our  Indian  neigh- 
bors and  countrymen  to  Christianity ;  and  that  it  is 
the  duty  of  every  person,  who  professes  a  regard 
to  the  kingdom  and  interest  of  Jesus  Christ,  to 
contribute  his  part  for  this  glorious  purpose. 

"  The  Charity  School  in  Lebanon  seems  to  be 
the  right  plan  ;  inasmuch  as  divine  Providence  has 
so  remarkably  smiled  on  that  institution,  and  hith- 
erto succeeded  the  design  of  it.  It  is,  therefore, 
of  the  utmost  importance  that  it  should  be  con- 
tinued, and  I  am  sincerely  willing  to  lend  what 
assistance  is  in  my  power.  I  do  not  suppose  that 
it  absolutely  needs  any  of  my  help  for  its  support ; 
but  only  ask  you  whether  you  would  advise  me  to 
offer  my  service  as  a  teacher  to  those  poor  aborigines 
there,  for  some  months,  without  desiring  any  other 
reward  than  a  subsistence  during  the  time.  I  have 
thought  much  of  it  since  I  have  had  the  pleasure 
of  reading  Mr.  Wheelock's  Narrative,  [A  Brief 
Narrative  of  the  Indian  Charity  School  in  Leb- 
anon, Connecticut.  Printed  in  London.  1766.] 
and  my  stipulated  time  at  this  place  will  cease 
about  the  beginning  of  next  April,  when  I  shall  be 
at  my  liberty  to  tarry  here  or  not.  But  as  I  do 
not  choose  to  make  such  a  proposal  on  a  sudden,  I 


CORRESPONDENCE.  21 

desire  your  kind  advice.  Please  to  confer  with 
Dr.  Langdon  on  the  subject,  and  let  me  know  your 
joint  serious  thoughts  concerning  it. 

u  I  desire  that  this  letter,  and  the  contents  and 
design  of  it,  may  be  kept  an  inviolable  secret  from 
every  other  person. 

"  With  much  esteem  for  you  both,  and  proper 
respects  to  your  families,  I  am 

"  Your  friend  and  servant, 

"Jer.  Belknap." 

Mr.  Haven's  reply  expresses  his  approval  of  this 
plan.  He  says,  "  I  have  taken  your  proposal  into 
serious  consideration,  and  am  at  present  inclined  to 
favor  it."  But  Dr.  Langdon  "  thinks  proper  to 
dissent  from  the  above  advice ;  giving  this  for  a 
reason,  that  he  supposes  the  school  does  not  stand 
in  need  of  such  a  charity." 

This  project  disturbed  his  parents  very  much,  as 
we  learn  from  a  long  letter  of  counsel  written  to 
Mr.  Belknap  by  his  friend  and  classmate,  the  Rev. 
Penuel  Bowen : 

"  Cambridge,  23d  January,  1766. 

"Dear  Sir, 

"  This  being  the  first  opportunity  since  the 
beginning,  I  now  greet  you  upon  the  commence- 
ment of  a  new  year ;  and  even  the  long-predicted 
1766,  to  be  memorable  for  some  extraordinary 
revolutions  both  in  the  natural  and  moral  world. 


22  LIFE   OF  DR.   BELKNAP. 

A  happy  new  year  I  wish  you,  from  the  profoundest 
part  of  the  sincerest   heart.      May  this  year  be 

memorable  for  the  repeal  of  the  S p  A — t,  and 

other  burthensome  impositions ;  for  the  liberties 
and  enlargement  of  America ;  and  for  the  exalta- 
tion of  the  English  nation,  both  in  spirituals  and 
temporals,  especially  the  former;  and,  as  a  most 
signal  part  of  this,  may  proper  methods  be  used 
for  converting  the  heathen;  and  oh  may  they  be 
attended  and  crowned  with  a  blessing  from  on  high ! 
Lastly,  may  this  year  be  remembered  with  glad- 
ness for  being  that  which  may  boast  of  ushering 
you,  my  worthy  friend,  into  the  office  of  a  preacher 
of  the  gospel,  and  a  minister  of  Jesus  Christ. 

"I,  having  been  to  Boston  this  day,  and  having 
the  favor  and  happiness  of  being  one  of  your  good 
parents'  friends,  had  the  pleasure  of  being  pre- 
sented by  your  father  with  your  last  letter  to  him, 
wherein  you  say  so  much  about  going  to  Lebanon 
to  keep  Mr.  Wheelock's  school  awhile  gratis.  The 
thought  seemed  no  less  new  and  surprising  to  your 
parents  than  to  me  ;  and  you  seem  to  acknowledge 
it  is  new  to  yourself  too,  as  you  intimate  the  par- 
ticular cause  of  it  now  is  your  just  having  read 
Mr.  Wheelock's  Continuation,  &c.  Not  that  I  can 
suppose,  my  friend,  any  thought  of  good  to  be  new 
to  you :  I  know  it  is  your  old  habitual  turn  to  be 
meditating  the  common  good." 


DESIGNS   FOR   THE   MINISTRY.  23 

He  then  asks  him  to  consider  whether  it  is  not  a 
sudden  notion ;  if  there  is  not  some  better  way  of 
promoting  this  charity,  and  reminds  him  of  his 
parents'  expectation  that  he  would  "in  proper  time 
undertake  the  blessed  work  of  preaching  the  gos- 
pel;" and  says  that  any  other  change  in  his  situa- 
tion would  "  rather  give  them  pain  than  pleasure. 
You  can  hardly  imagine  how  their  comfort  depends 
on  you,  and  how  they  are  grieved  when  your  de- 
sires counteract  their  judgment.  And,  to  conclude, 
my  advice  is,  if  they  seem  to  wish  you  would  not 
insist  in  this  matter,  by  no  means  to  do  it." 

What  effect  this  letter  had,  does  not  appear ; 
but  the  design  was  abandoned  on  his  learning  that 
the  school  was  properly  supplied  with  teachers,  and 
that  accordingly  there  was  no  need  of  his  services. 

This  desire  to  teach  the  Indians  probably  arose 
from  the  disturbed  and  unsettled  state  of  his  mind 
as  to  his  qualifications  for  a  gospel  minister ;  and 
as  soon  as  he  was  assured  on  this  point,  he  devoted 
himself  to  his  appointed  work.  On  this  subject 
he  says  himself, 

"It  has  been  my  constant,  habitual  thought,  ever 
since  I  was  capable  of  judging,  that  I  should 
preach  the  gospel.  With  this  view,  my  parents 
educated  me,  and  to  this  my  friends  have  often 
urged  and  persuaded  me  ;  but  for  a  long  time  all 
these  things  were  in  vain.  I  knew  myself  to  be 
destitute  of  the  grand  fundamental  qualification  of 


24  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

a  true  minister  of  the  gospel,  and  was  determined 
never  to  undertake  preaching  until  I  had  obtained 
a  hope  in  Christ.  A  glorious  discovery  of  the 
riches  and  freeness  of  divine  grace,  and  the  infinite 
worthiness  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  which  I  trust 
was  made  to  mj  soul  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  at  once 
changed  my  views  and  dispositions ;  and  from  that 
time  I  devoted  mvself  to  the  service  of  God  in  the 
gospel  of  his  Son,  thinking  it  my  duty  to  glorify 
God  in  this  way.  My  qualifications  have  been 
judged  of  by  others.  My  conscience  acquits  me 
of  having  any  mercenary  views :  a  decent,  com- 
fortable subsistence,  while  I  continue  in  this  vale 
of  tears,  is  all  the  present  reward  that  I  desire. 

UI  know  that  God  has  no  need  of  any  of  my 
services ;  but  if  it  shall  please  him  to  make  me  a 
humble,  zealous,  faithful  instrument  of  building  up 
the  Redeemer's  kingdom,  and  turning  sinners  from 
the  error  of  their  ways,  I  shall  esteem  it  the 
greatest  dignity  and  happiness  I  am  capable  of 
receiving." 

His  first  appearance  in  public  as  a  preacher 
was  in  Mr.  Haven's  pulpit,  at  Portsmouth.  Mr. 
M'Clintock,  the  clergyman  at  Greenland,  wrote  a 
letter  to  Mr.  Belknap's  father  on  this  occasion,  in 
which  he  speaks  of  him  as  bidding  fair  to  be  an 
eminent  preacher,  and  says  he  thinks  the  people 
who  may  be  so  happy  as  to  obtain  him  for  their 
minister  will  in  him  receive  a  "  precious  gift  of  our 


THE   HALF-WAY    COVENANT.  25 

ascended  Lord."  In  the  same  letter,  mention  is 
made  of  his  valuable  services  as  a  teacher,  and  the 
loss  his  removal  would  be  to  the  people  of  the 
town,  as  it  was  feared  his  successor  would  not  have 
"such  a  natural,  parental  care  for  the  welfare  of 
the  children." 

The  half-way  covenant  he  thought  very  unscrip- 
tural,  and  wrote  to  several  clergymen  for  advice 
upon  the  subject.  A  letter  written  to  Dr.  Lang- 
don  states  the  matter  thus  : 

"  You  know  it  is  the  prevailing  practice  in  most 
of  the  Congregational  churches  of  Xew  England  to 
administer  the  ordinance  of  baptism  to  the  children 
of  persons  who  are  not  in  full  communion  with  the 
church,  and  who  are  not  thought  to  be  under  any 
obligations,  by  virtue  of  their  engagements  in  oivning 
the  covenant,  to  sit  down  at  the  Lord's  table,  with- 
out a  second  covenanting  or  formal  admission  to  full 
communion.  I  have  for  some  time  had  a  doubt  in 
my  mind  whether  this  custom  can  be  justified  by 
scripture  ;  and,  as  it  seems  probable  that  I  shall 
soon  enter  on  the  important  work  of  the  gospel  min- 
istry, it  greatly  concerns  me  to  be  satisfied  in  this 
particular  branch  of  it.  If  this  distinction  of  full 
communion  and  half  communion  has  its  foundation 
in  the  word  of  God,  I  desire  with  all  reverence  to 
admit  and  own  it  as  of  divine  authority ;  but  at  pres- 
ent I  cannot  see  the  grounds  on  which  it  is  vindi- 


26  LIFE    OF    DR.    BELKNAP. 

cated.  My  earnest  desire  therefore  to  you  is  that 
you  will  be  pleased  to  communicate  your  thoughts 
on  this  subject  to  me  by  letter,  which  will  be  es- 
teemed and  acknowledged  as  a  particular  favor,  by, 
Sir, 

"  Your  respectful  and  obliged  friend  and  servant, 
"Jeremy  Belkxap." 

On  this  subject  he  wrote  to  his  friend  Mr. 
Bowen  who  declined  the  labor  of  answering  his 
important  questions,  but  said :  "  Truly  as  to  that 
matter  of  admitting  to  baptism  without  coming  to 
the  other  sacrament,  I  believe  that  all  admitted  to 
baptism  by  the  apostles  were  also  counted  qualified 
to  partake  the  other  sacrament,  and  doubtless  in 
general  did  ;  and  it  is  my  sentiment  that  so  it 
should  be  at  this  day  :  but  then  after  we  have  ad- 
mitted duly  qualified  persons  to  baptism,  they  may 
be  left  to  themselves  whether  to  come  to  the  Lord's 
table  or  not." 

Mr.  Bowen  then  expresses  his  joy,  and  that  of 
Mr.  Belknap's  other  friends,  at  his  having  become 
a  preacher.  He  says,  "  I  find  you  are  fired  with  a 
laudable  zeal  in  the  good  cause  of  Christianity  :  the 
great  Head  of  influences  raise  you,  by  still  greater 
gifts  and  graces,  to  the  highest  pitch  of  usefulness ! 
This,  I  know,  is  the  height  of  your  desires.  You 
would  not  be  famous  but  for  doing  good.  Your 
praise  beginneth  to  be  in  all  the  churches  where  vou 


THE   HALF-WAY    COVENANT.  27 

have  labored  in  word  and  doctrine.     May  it  greatly 
increase  and  on  good  foundation  ! " 

The  following  is  an  extract  from  Mr.  Belknap's 
reply : 

*  *  *  "  I  desired  to  know  your  sentiments 
whether  those  persons  who,  though  they  profess  faith, 
repentance,  and  obedience  (which  are  all  included, 
or  ought  to  be,  in  owning  the  covenant),  yet  live  in 
the  habitual  neglect  of  attendance  at  the  Lord's 
table,  have  any  right,  according  to  the  apostolic  or 
gospel  constitution,  to  present  their  children  to  bap- 
tism. I  argue  on  the  matter  thus :  If  the  children 
of  any  have  a  right  to  baptism,  they  must  be  those 
of  believers.  jSow  all  true  believers  do  (visibly  at 
least  as  far  as  they  are  obliged  to  do  it)  yield 
obedience  to  all  the  commandments  of  Christ.  But 
when  we  see  persons  live  in  the  constant  habitual 
disregard  of  any  one  of  his  commands,  especially 
one  of  his  own  ordinances,  which  he  has  appointed 
in  his  church  to  be  a  visible  sign  of  membership 
among  his  people,  and  a  standing  seal  of  our  engage- 
ments to  keep  his  covenant ;  I  say,  when  we  see  per- 
sons do  so,  we  cannot  extend  our  charity  to  them  so 
far  as  to  think  them  true  believers  (I  except  cases 
of  idiotism,  infancy,  sickness,  or  any  other  natural 
or  providential  impossibility  of  attending  on  the  or- 
dinances) ;  for  Christ  has  ordained  it  as  a  test  of  the 


28  LIFE   OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

sincerity  of  professors,  that  they  keep  his  command- 
ments. 

"  I  can  see  no  reason  in  the  plea  that  though  they 
think  themselves  so  far  interested  in  the  covenant 
as  to  bring  their  children  to  baptism,  yet  they  are 
afraid  to  approach  the  Lord's  table  on  account  of 
their  unworthiness,  &c.  ;  because  I  know  no  differ- 
ence, according  to  scripture,  between  the  qualifica- 
tions requisite  for  one  and  the  other.  Are  not  bap- 
tism, and  the  Lord's  supper,  seals  of  the  same  cove- 
nant ?  How,  then,  can  we  have  a  right  to  the  one, 
and  not  to  the  other  ? 

"  I  have  taken  pains  to  inquire  into  the  rise  and 
establishment  of  that  arbitrary  and  unscriptural  dis- 
tinction between  owning  the  covenant  and  fulfilling 
the  commandment,  and  find  in  the  Magnalia"  *** 
Here  followed  a  quotation,  which,  in  the  copy  pre- 
served, is  omitted. 

"  I  might  make  many  remarks  on  this  passage, 
considering  how  artfully  and  cautiously  it  is  worded ; 
but  I  shall  only  say,  that,  although  it  is  far  more 
likely  a  puny  New  Hampshire  pedagogue  should  be 
mistaken,  than  all  the  reverend  heads  in  New  Eng- 
land consolidated  into  a  grand  synodical  Caput  Cap- 
itate, yet  there  is  at  least  a  possibility  that  these 
venerable  fathers  were  mistaken  ;  and  it  is  my  poor 
opinion  that  then  the  churches  of  New  England  took 
a  grand  leap  in  the  dark  from  the  primitive  purity 
and  simplicity  of  the  gospel.     If  we  must  give  im- 


THE    HALF-WAY    COVENANT.  29 

plicit  faith  to  the  determination  of fathers  and  coun- 
cils, let  us  throw  away  the  Bible  at  once,  and  adopt 
the  infallible  decrees  of  Trent,  Xice,  Dort,  and 
Boston,  as  the  pure,  uncorrupted  Catholic  faith. 
For,  allowing  the  members  who  composed  all  these 
celebrated  councils  aforesaid  to  have  been  honest, 
guileless,  unprejudiced  men,  there  is  as  much  reason 
to  adopt  the  decrees  of  one  as  of  the  other,  however 
absurd  and  contradictory.  But  I  think  it  is  time 
that  the  Scripture  should  be  regarded  as  the  only 
infallible  form  of  sound  words,  and  all  trimming  and 
temporizing  and  truckling  to  the  humor  of  a  de- 
praved world  entirely  laid  aside  by  the  professors 
and  preachers  of  a  gospel  which  owes  its  origin  to  an 
independent  God. 

*  "  There  are  some,  and  I  may  rank  you 
among  the  number,  who  dare  to  think  for  themselves, 
and  are  not  overborne  by  the  torrent  of  prevailing 
custom,  or  browbeaten  by  clerical  authority.  You 
may  show  this  letter  to  whom  you  please." 

For  some  months  Mr.  Belknap  preached  occasion- 
ally for  the  clergymen  of  the  neighboring  parishes ; 
and  on  the  31st  of  July,  1766,  a  committee  of  the 
parish  at  Dover  invited  him  to  preach  there  as 
assistant  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Gushing,  whose  health  was 
very  infirm.  Dr.  Langdon  wrote  to  him  at  this  time, 
advising  him  to  accept  the  invitation,  and  said, 
'  Perhaps  Providence  may  open  the  way  for  your 


30  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

settlement  there,  which  is  a  good  situation  for  a 
minister,  and  probably  will  be  more  and  more  agree- 
able." 

He  continued  to  preach  at  Dover  to  the  satisfac- 
tion of  the  people  ;  and,  the  following  winter,  they 
gave  him  a  call  to  settle  as  colleague  of  Mr.  Crush- 
ing, which  was  accepted.  Meantime  the  custom  of 
the  half-way  covenant  still  troubled  him,  and  he 
finally  addressed  the  church  upon  the  subject,  in  a 
letter  which  concludes  thus  :  — 

"  If  it  should  please  God  to  settle  me  in  a  pas- 
toral relation  to  any  church,  it  must  not  be  expected 
that  I  should  ever  admit  persons  to  own  the  cove- 
nant, without  at  the  same  time  receiving  them  into 
full  communion.  God  grant  that  I  may  never  ad- 
mit them  to  this  blessed  privilege,  unless  they  give 
evidence  sufficient  for  a  charitable  hope,  that  they 
have  believed  in  Jesus  to  the  saving  of  their  souls. 

"  If  you  desire  to  know  my  sentiments  on  any 
other  points,  I  am  willing  to  declare  them  openly 
and  unreservedly.      I  am 

"  Your  unworthy  brother  and  servant  in  Christ, 

"  Jer.  Belkxap." 

A  letter  from  Mr.  William  Whitwell,  of  Boston,  to 
Mr.  Belknap,  written  about  this  time,  is  worthy  of 
notice  for  the  very  concise  definition  of  gospel 
preaching  it  contains. 


IS    INVITED    TO    DOVER.  31 

Boston,  26th  July,  1766. 

"  To  Mr.  Jer.  Belknap,  Jux. 

"  Whom  I  trust  doth  and  will  preach  the 
Gospel,  namely,  Christ  is  the  end  of  the  Law  for 
righteousness  ;  —  he  that  belie veth  shall  be  saved  ; 
he  that  believeth  not  shall  be  damned. 

"  Mr.  Erskine's  book  accompanieth  this,  and  is 
presented  to  him  by,  Sir,  yours  to  serve, 

"  Wm.  Whetwbll." 

There  was  but  one  sentiment  among  the  people 
of  Dover  with  regard  to  Mr.  Belknap.  After  he 
had  preached  "  as  a  probationer  "  for  a  month,  the 
church  committee  voted  unanimously  in  his  favor  ; 
and  at  a  meeting  of  the  parish,  the  same  unanimity 
prevailed. 

It  was  "  unanimously  voted,  that  said  parish  pay 
Mr.  Jeremiah  Belknap  one  hundred  pounds,  lawful 
money,  yearly  or  every  year,  as  a  salary  from  the 
time  of  his  accepting  said  call,  during  the  time  he 
shall  continue  our  minister,  and  in  full  therefor." 

Also,  "  unanimously  voted,  that  the  parish  give 
Mr.  Belknap  one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds,  lawful 
money,  and  to  be  paid  at  the  following  periods,  viz. : 
fifty  pounds  in  three  months,  and  fifty  pounds  in  six 
months,  and  fifty  pounds  in  nine  months  next  after 
his  ordination,  to  be  raised  by  the  selectmen  of  said 
parish  for  the  time  being,  which  is  to  provide  him- 
self a  convenient  house  to  dwell  in  during  his  minis- 


82  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

try  amongst  us  ;  or,  instead  of  said  one  hundred  and 
fifty  pounds,  that  the  parish  shall  provide  him  a 
convenient  house,  barn,  and  garden,  during  said 
term  ;  and  that  it  is  left  to  his  determination  and 
choice  to  accept  the  said  one  hundred  and  fifty 
pounds,  or  the  house,  garden,  &c." 

To  these  proposals  he  replied  as  follows  : 

"  To  the  Parishioners  of  the  first  parish  in  Dover : 

"  Your  late  call  and  proposals  to  me  made  I  have 
taken  into  serious  consideration  ;  and  as,  from  vari- 
ous concurring  circumstances,  the  joint  invitation  of 
the  church  and  parish  here  seems  to  be  the  voice 
of  Divine  Providence,  I  think  it  my  duty  with  all 
humility  to  accept  it,  looking  to  the  great  Head  of 
the  Church  for  grace  and  strength  to  fulfil  the  duty 
of  a  gospel  minister. 

"  Concerning  the  proposals  of  settlement,  though 
I  had  no  objections  to  make  to  them,  yet  I  did  not 
think  myself  qualified  to  judge  whether  they  were 
sufficient  for  my  comfortable  subsistence  in  life,  if  it 
should  please  God  that  I  should  have  a  family  ;  and 
therefore  I  thought  it  advisable  to  consult  with  some 
of  my  friends  who  were  judges.  Their  opinion  is, 
that,  since  I  am  to  have  no  parsonage  land,  there 
ought  to  be  added  to  my  annual  salary,  as  many 
cords  of  wood  as  will  be  necessary  for  the  use  and 
convenience  of  a  family  during  the  year  ;  but,  see- 
ing you  have  your  aged  and  venerable  pastor  to 


IS    ORDAIXED    AT   DOVER.  33 

care  for  in  the  decline  of  life,  I  shall  waive  that  mat- 
ter,—  not  without  hope,  that,  should  I  live  to  see 
some  of  your  present  expenses  terminate,  you  will 
make  some  provision  of  that  kind  for  me,  if  you 
shall  judge  it  necessary.  The  salary  of  <£100  per 
annum  I  accept,  on  condition  that  two  payments 
be  made  every  year,  namely,  one  half  at  the  end  of 
every  six  months  from  the  date  hereof ;  and  as  you 
have  offered  me  the  choice  of  a  house,  or  £150  in 
lieu  thereof,  I  accept  the  said  £150,  to  be  paid  in 
the  manner  proposed. 

"  Having  now  devoted  myself  to  the  service  of 
God  in  the  gospel  of  his  Son,  and  (as  I  trust), 
agreeable  to  the  divine  will,  taken  on  me  the  care 
of  your  souls  ;  sensible  of  my  own  insufficiency  to 
discharge  this  duty  in  a  right  manner,  I  must  ask 
your  earnest  prayers  for  me,  that  I  may  obtain 
mercy  of  the  Lord  to  be  faithful,  and  that  my  labors 
may  be  rewarded  with  abundant  success  ;  so  shall 
your  souls  be  my  joy  and  crown  of  rejoicing  at  the 
second  coming  of  Jesus  Christ. 

"  Jeremy  Belknap. 

"Dover,  January  19th,  1767." 

On  the  27th  of  January,  at  a  meeting  of  the 
church,  it  was  voted  to  send  to  twenty-two  churches, 
and  the  ordination  took  place  on  the  18th  of  the 
next  month.  The  sermon  on  the  occasion  was 
preached  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Haven,  of  Portsmouth. 


34  LITE    OF   DB.    BELKNAP. 

CHAPTER  II. 

1767—1774. 

His  Marriage.  —  Correspondence  ivith  Capt.  Wal- 
dron.  — Letters  to  Peter  Thacher. — Letter  to  his 
Father.  —  S andemanians .  —  Letter  to  Captain 
Waldron.  —  Sermon  on  Military  Duty.  —  Cor- 
respondence ivith  Governor  Wentworth. — Letter 
to  the  Selectmen.  —  Letter  to  a  Collegian.  —  To 
Rev.  John  Stafford.  —  Spinning  Match. 

Ox  the  loth  of  June,  1767,  Mr.  Belknap  was 
married  to  Miss  Ruth  Eliot,  daughter  of  Samuel 
Eliot,  bookseller  in  Cornhill,  Boston ;  a  lady  pos- 
sessing many  amiable  qualities.  The  following  con- 
cise account  of  the  wedding  journey  to  and  from 
Boston  is  taken  from  the  interleaved  Almanac  for 
this  year  : 

"  June  12th.  Set  out  for  Boston,  lodged  North 
Hill. 

13th.  Travelled  to  Ipswich  ;  met  Governor  Went- 
worth on  the  road  ;  he  entered  Portsmouth  this  day. 

14th.  Preached  at  Ipswich. 

15th.  Reached  Boston ;  evening  married. 

18th.  Set  out  on  our  return,  rode  through  the 
rain,  and  lodged  at  Hampton,  Mr.  Thayer's. 

19th.  Got  home  to  Dover  in  the  evening  safe  and 
well." 


LETTER    TO    CAPTAIN  WALDRON.  oO 

Thomas  Westbrook  Waldron  was,  at  this  period, 
one  of  the  most  influential  men  in  Dover.  He  was 
the  first  volunteer  from  New  Hampshire  in  the  ex- 
pedition to  Cape  Breton,  in  1745,  where  he  bore  a 
captain's  commission  ;  and  he  was  subsequently  a 
member  of  the  general  court.  His  friendship  was 
much  relied  upon  and  highly  esteemed  by  Mr, 
Belknap,  who,  in  returning  to  Dover  from  Boston  in 
the  spring  of  1767,  rode,  on  the  journey,  Capt.  Wal- 
dron's  horse,  which  died  shortly  after  from  some 
injury  received.  This  occasioned  the  following  cor- 
respondence : 

from  mr.  belknap  to  capt.  waldron. 
"  Sir, 

"  I  never  heard  till  this  day,  that  your  horse 
was  dead  of  the  wound  which  he  got  by  my  riding 
him  from  Boston.  Justice  demands  and  gratitude 
obliges  me,  to  offer  a  compensation.  I  therefore 
sincerely  and  readily  make  you  an  offer  of  my 
horse  (valued  at  c£12,  which  is  the  sum  I  gave  for 
him) ,  and  will  give  you  a  promissory  note  of  as  much 
more  as  you  shall  judge  will  make  an  equivalent. 

"  I  am  very  sorry  for  your  loss,  and  that  I  was 
the  occasion  of  it ;  but  can  truly  say,  I  shall  be  glad 
if  you  will  accept  what  I  have  offered  above. 
"  I  am,  Sir,  with  the  greatest  respect, 

"  Your  obliged,  humble  servant, 
"Jer.  Belkxap." 

"July  15th,  1767. 


36  LIFE   OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

Captain  Waldron  replied  as  follows  : 

"Rev.  Sir, 

"  My  horse  slipped  his  wind  the  20th  June 
last,  under  the  care  of  Farrier  Coleman.  If  some 
unconcerned,  officious  gabbler  had  not  blabbed  the 
secret,  I  trust  a  jubilee  year  from  that  Hegira  would 
have  passed,  without  its  reaching  your  ears. 

"  I   never   had   the   slightest   thought   of  your 
making  any  satisfaction  for   him,  and  now  freely 
declare,  that  I  disclaim  any  demand  that  could  be 
made  relative  thereto  on  Mr.  Belknap  by  his 
"  Most  respectful,  humble  servant, 

"  Thomas  W.  Waldron." 

July  16th,  1767." 

Peter  Thacher,  the  eldest  son  of  Oxenbridge 
Thacher,  wTho  was  an  eminent  lawyer  in  Boston, 
was  one  of  Mr.  Belknap's  early  friends.  Their 
acquaintance  commenced  at  Milton,  when  Peter  was 
only  twelve  years  old  ;  a  very  young  companion,  it 
wrould  seem,  for  Mr.  Belknap  ;  but  he  was  of  a  seri- 
ous nature,  so  that  it  was  said  of  him,  "  he  was 
never  a  child."  In  one  of  his  letters  he  mentions  the 
conduct  which  secured  his  regard. 

"  Do  you  not  remember,  when  you  kept  school  at 
Milton,  how  openly  and  unreservedly  you  treated 
me  ;  how  you  admitted  me  to  your  confidence, 
although  I  was  a  child  ?  That  treatment  won  my 
soul." 


LETTER   TO    PETER   THACHER.  37 

In  1765,  Oxenbridge  Thaclier  died,  and  his  son 
Peter  entered  Harvard  College  at  the  age  of  thir- 
teen years.  He  continued  to  correspond  with  Mr. 
Belknap.  He  thanks  him  for  u  kind,  friendly,  father- 
like advice ;"  and,  conscious  of  possessing  no  ordi- 
nary powers  of  mind,  he  says  :  "  I  am  very  sensible 
there  is  a  great  talent  put  into  my  hands,  and  I 
beg  your  prayers  that  I  may  improve  it  to  the  best 
advantage."  To  do  this,  he  resolved  to  become  a 
preacher.  In  February,  1769,  he  wrote  to  Mr. 
Belknap  as  a  "  friend  and  father,"  to  announce  his 
determination,  and  request  assistance  and  advice  in 
his  studies.  In  compliance  with  this  request,  the 
following  letter  was  written : 

to  mr.  peter  thacher,  at  college. 

"Dear  Sir, 

"  I  am  extremely  pleased  with  your  late  letter. 
It  is  not  a  want  of  regard,  but  of  leisure  and  oppor- 
tunity, that  has  prevented  my  writing  to  you  for 
some  time  past.  However,  I  will  now  break  through 
all  impediments,  and  express  to  you  the  joy  I  con- 
ceived at  reading  your  letter,  and  endeavor  to  give 
you  some  cautions  and  advice  which  you  have  re- 
quested. I  trust  you  will  receive  them  with  candor, 
and  not  think  me  dictatorial. 

"  Nothing  would  please  me  more  than  to  hear  of 
your  entering  Christ's  kingdom,  and  determining  to 
devote  yourself  to  the  gospel  ministry.     In  order  to 


38  LIFE   OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

this,  it  is  essentially  necessary  that  you  be  renewed 
after  the  image  of  God.  "The  change  you  have 
experienced,  you  trust  is  saving."  I  have  no  rea- 
son to  suspect  you  of  insincerity  in  this  declaration  ; 
but  let  me  remind  you  of  these  words,  1  Kings  xx.  11, 
'  Let  not  him  that  girdeth  on  his  harness,  boast  him- 
self as  he  that  putteth  it  off.'  You  are  but  just  set- 
ting out  in  the  Christian  ministry,  and  you  must 
expect  to  meet  with  many  difficulties  and  discourage- 
ments ;  you  will  find  many  things  to  damp  your 
hopes,  and  shake  your  confidence,  if  you  are  a  true 
Christian.  The  more  you  grow  acquainted  with 
your  own  heart,  the  more  odious  will  you  appear  in 
the  sight  of  God,  and  the  less  reason  will  you  have 
to  value  and  approve  yourself.  You  will  find  that 
the  assurance  of  hope  is  not  to  be  obtained,  but  by 
the  most  laborious  and  painful  pursuit ;  that  you 
cannot  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  but  through 
much  tribulation.  You  must  remember,  that  hu- 
mility and  meekness  are  distinguishing  marks  of  a 
Christian,  and  self-flattery  a  certain  mark  of  an 
hypocrite.  Let  not  my  friend  think  that  I  suspect 
him  of  hypocrisy,  but  only  that  I  am  giving  him 
some  faithful  cautions,  which  I  find  of  unspeakable 
use  and  service  in  the  Christian  life. 

"  As  to  your  studying  Divinity,  I  would  impart 
my  very  soul  to  you  in  Christian  tenderness  and 
faithfulness.  In  the  first  place,  you  must  remember 
that  Divinity  is  the  knowledge  of  divine  things,  and 


LETTER   TO    PETER   THACHER.  o(J 

not  human  opinions  :  therefore,  in  the  pursuit  of 
this  noble  science,  you  must  take  this  for  your  motto, 
Isaiah  ii.  22,  '  Cease  ye  from  man,  whose  breath  is 
in  his  nostrils  ;  for  wherein  is  he  to  be  accounted 
of?' 

"  Would  you  know  the  virtues  of  any  particular 
sort  of  water,  it  would  be  more  irrational  to  seek  it 
in  the  muddy  streams,  than  in  the  pure  original 
fount ;  so,  if  you  would  know  the  truth  as  it  is  in 
Jesus,  you  must  not  seek  it  in  the  writings  of  unin- 
spired men,  but  in  the  oracles  of  unerring  truth. 
Divinity  is  not  the  art  of  disputing  about  divine 
truth,  nor  of  puzzling  yourself  and  others  with  meta- 
physical subtleties  ;  but  it  is  the  knowledge  of  God 
and  Christ,  and  the  Gospel.  And  where  is  this  to 
be  found,  but  in  the  revelation  which  God  has  made 
to  the  world  ?  To  these  pure  and  unerring  oracles, 
I  would  direct  you ;  there  you  may  search  for  and 
receive  divine  truth,  without  the  least  suspicion  of 
being  deceived,  provided  you  come  with  an  humble, 
meek,  and  teachable  soul,  as  a  new-born  babe  desir- 
ing the  sincere  milk  of  the  word,  &c. 

"  But,  if  you  make  systematical  and  polemical 
authors  your  chief  study,  you  will  be  in  danger  of 
having  your  mind  turned  away  from  the  simplicity 
of  the  Gospel,  and  of  being  led  into  some  scheme  of 
religion  that  will  be  set  up  as  an  idol  in  your  heart, 
and  be  made  use  of  as  a  standard  to  try  all  other 
opinions  by.     Many  persons  are  carried  away  with 


40  LIFE    OF    DR.    BELKNAP. 

the  reigning  opinion  in  the  place  where  they  hap- 
pen to  live,  and  yet  their  minds  are  so  prejudiced  in 
favor  thereof  as  to  be  deaf  to  the  conviction  of 
its  falsity. 

"But  let  my  dear  friend  remember,  that  he  is  to 
call  no  man  master  ;  for  one  is  his  Master,  even 
Christ. 

"  As  to  directing  you  to  books,  I  would  be  very 
cautious  ;  and  I  would  advise  you  to  take  heed  how 
you  hearken  to  the  advice  of  any  men,  how  great 
soever  be  their  knowledge  and  attainments.  What- 
ever books  you  are  directed  to,  read  them  as  the 
opinions  of  men  only  ;  for  there  are  many  deceivers 
gone  forth  into  the  world,  and  it  is  not  safe  for  you 
to  give  implicit  faith  to  any  of  them. 

"  Another  hint  may  be  serviceable,  that  is,  when 
you  are  studying  divine  truth,  remember  that  it  is 
not  a  speculative  science  like  mathematics,  or  astron- 
omy, but  't  is  of  the  utmost  importance  to  your  own 
soul ;  't  is  the  knowledge  of  what  is  necessary  to 
your  own  eternal  well-being.  Let  this  influence  you 
to  make  personal  and  particular  application  to  your- 
self of  what  you  read  :  thus  you  will  not  only  im- 
prove your  understanding,  but  grow  in  holiness, 
which  you  will  find  of  unspeakable  advantage  to 
your  future  ministrations,  especially  in  private  visits 
and  conversation.  A  minister  must  not  only  know 
divine  truth  as  a  distant,  speculative  notion,  but  have 
it  in  his  heart  as  a  living,  operative  principle.  There 


LETTER   TO    PETER   THACHER.  41 

is  a  coarse  proverb  somewhere,  that  sound  may  pass 
through  a  ram's  horn  without  straightening  it,  which 
may  be  very  well  applied  to  many  that  preach  the 
gospel  now-a-days :  they  only  are  instruments  of 
conveying  sound  to  the  ears  of  their  auditors,  and 
that  sound  affects  themselves  no  more  than  if  it  were 
of  no  importance.  The  Lord  keep  you  and  me  from 
being  of  this  unhappy  number. 

"  In  searching  the  scriptures,  it  will  not  be  of  any 
real  advantage  to  you  to  run  to  comments  whenever 
you  meet  with  a  passage  whose  meaning  is  not  obvi- 
ous :  use  a  Bible  with  a  translator's  margin. 

"The  shortest  way  of  coming  at  the  truth  is  the 
best.  I  would  have  you  prefer  such  books  as  aim 
directly  at  it,  without  a  tedious,  circumlocutory  string 
of  arguments  to  prove  self-evident  propositions, 
which  is  often  the  case  with  polemical  and  system- 
atical writers  :  perhaps  Dr.  Doddridge's  lectures 
may  serve  instead  of  a  vast  catalogue  of  authors, 
as  he  shows  their  various  opinions  in  a  clear  and 
compendious  view. 

*     *    *     "  The  lives  of  good  ministers.     *     * 

"  A  preacher  ought  to  be  conversant  with  the  his- 
tory of  the  church,  where  he  will  find  indeed  much 
to  exercise  his  patience,  especially  from  the  time 
when  the  heathen  persecution  ceased,  to  the  reform- 
ation ;  but  the  whole  is  improving,  and  much  of  it 
will  serve  to  show  the  folly  of  departing  from  the 
word  of  God,  and  recurring  to  the  opinions  of  men. 


42  LIFE   OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

"  For  experimental  divinity,  Mr.  Edwards  on  the 
Affections,  and  Stoddard's  Safety  of  Appearing,  are 
excellent ;  but  even  these  must  be  read  with  circum- 
spection. Mr.  John  Erskine  gives  a  clear  account  of 
Faith,  &c."  Here  the  rough  draught  of  the  letter, 
from  which  the  above  is  copied,  terminates  abruptly. 

The  attempt  to  reform  the  church,  so  conscien- 
tiously made,  disturbed  his  friends ;  and  some  ex- 
tracts from  a  letter  to  his  father,  in  reply  to  one 
expressing  uneasiness  on  this  account,  show  the  sin- 
cerity and  purity  of  his  intentions,  and  give  his  rea- 
sons for  opposing  the  prevailing  custom  : 

"July  31st,  1771. 

"Hox.  Sir, 

"lam  sorry  that  any  thing  which  you  have 
heard  of  me  gives  you  uneasiness.  "What  I  have 
done  was  the  free  and  voluntary  act  of  my  own 
mind,  upon  a  deliberate  and  full  conviction  of  its 
being  agreeable  to  the  will  of  Christ,  and  an  indis- 
pensable duty  required  of  me  as  his  servant. 

**********"  The  Puritans 
in  England  carried  their  ideas  of  reformation  farther 
than  any  set  of  men  in  their  day ;  and  some  of 
the  first  settlers  of  Newr  England,  who  were  of  this 
stamp,  set  up  churches  very  near  the  ancient  apos- 
tolic model ;  but  has  it  not  been  the  common  topic 
of  our  Fast-Day  sermons  for  seventy  or  eighty  years 
past  ?  '  How  is  the  gold  become  dim,  and  the  fine 


LETTER   TO   HIS   FATHER.  43 

gold  changed  !  '  '  We  are  become  the  degenerate 
plants  of  a  strange  vine,'  kc.  Upon  these  occasions 
how  common  is  it  to  lament  the  sad  degeneracy  of 
the  times,  and  urge  the  necessity  of  reformation, 
bringing  into  view  the  pious  example  of  our  fore- 
fathers, and  contrasting  it  with  the  appearances  of 
the  present  day,  praying  for  a  revival  of  religion, 
and  the  outpouring  of  the  Spirit !  But  after  this 
annual  task  is  over,  what  becomes  of  the  desired 
reformation  ?  "Who  stirs  a  step  towards  it  ?  It  is 
all  blown  away  in  the  wind,  and  we  hear  no  more 
of  it  till  the  next  anniversary.  Is  not  God  mocked 
by  such  prevarication  ?  Does  not  his  jealousy  burn 
against  such  a  nation  as  this,  who  draw  nigh  to  him 
with  their  lips,  while  their  heart  is  far  from  him  ?  *  * 
"  The  voice  of  Christ  to  us  is,  Repent  and  do  the 
first  works  ;  but  who  hears  and  obeys  it  ?  If  an 
individual  is  so  affected  with  the  solemnity  and  im- 
portance of  this  voice,  as  to  think  himself  inexcusa- 
ble in  not  obeying  it,  what  must  he  do  ?  Must  he 
wait  for  the  whole  body  of  the  clergy  to  unite  in 
this  work,  to  deny  themselves,  and  forsake  all  to 
follow  Christ  ?  As  soon  may  he  expect  to  see  the 
scattered  stars  in  the  firmament  unite  into  one  com- 
pact body  like  the  Pleiades.  The  body  of  the  clergy, 
in  all  ages  and  nations,  have  always  been  the  most 
bitterly  set  against  reformation  ;  and  why  the  clergy 
in  Xew  England  should  be  thought  any  more  dis- 
posed to  it  than  those  of  other  countries,  no  man  can 


44  LIFE   OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

tell.  The  reason  is  plain  and  evident :  their  interest 
is  too  nearly  connected  with  the  corruptions  of  re- 
ligion in  the  present  day,  to  suffer  them  to  discoun- 
tenance it.  For  instance,  what  would  become  of 
their  interest  if  they  should  discountenance  the  pre- 
vailing mode  of  owning  the  covenant,  considered  as 
a  distinct  thing  from  admission  to  full  communion  ? 
*  *  *  *  «  How  was  Mr.  Edwards,  of  North- 
ampton, treated,  because  he  could  not  remain  un- 
equally yoked  with  unbelievers  ? 

"  If  a  general  reformation  in  this  and  other  re- 
spects is  not  to  be  hoped  for  from  the  united  efforts 
of  the  clergy,  what  must  a  poor  individual  do,  who 
is  determined  to  live  godly  in  Christ  Jesus,  and 
follow  after  that  purity  in  faith  and  practice  which 
he  believes  Christ  requires  in  his  people  now,  as 
much  as  he  did  in  his  primitive  churches  ?  What 
but  make  known  his  sentiments,  with  the  scriptural 
reasons  on  which  they  are  founded,  to  the  particu- 
lar society  with  which  he  is  connected,  to  see 
whether  they  will  hear  the  voice  of  Christ  or  no  ? 
This  I  have  done,  and  have  done  it  in  a  way  that 
I  thought  liable  to  no  exception,  namely,  by  confer- 
ence.        *         *         *         * 

u  I  desire  your  prayers  that  I  may  be  directed  by 
God,  and  enabled  to  seek  the  true  interest  of  relig- 
ion, though  it  should  prove  to  be  a  distinct  thing 
from  my  own  temporal  interest,  &c. 

"  Yours,  J.  B." 


THE   SAXDEM  ASIANS.  45 

In  consequence  of  his  exertions,  all  the  former 
members  of  the  church  renewed  their  covenant,  ex- 
cept "  scrupulous  consciences  or  scandalous  sin- 
ners." The  children  of  the  former  were  admitted 
to  baptism  ;  the  latter  were  denied  the  privilege,  and 
admonished  to  repent :  but  no  new  members  were 
admitted  without  acknowledging  their  obligation  to 
attend  the  ordinance  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  and  their 
intention  by  the  help  of  the  divine  Spirit  to  act 
accordingly. 

The  sect  called  Sandemanians  appeared  about 
this  time  in  New  England.  The  chief  of  this  relig- 
ious party,  from  whom  their  name  is  derived,  was 
Robert  Sandeman,  first  a  Congregational  preacher 
at  Edinburgh  :  he  was  a  disciple  of  Mr.  John  Glas, 
from  whom  this  denomination  are  called  Glasites  in 
Scotland.  Sandeman  came  to  New  England,  about 
the  year  176-1 ;  his  peculiar  doctrines  attracted 
much  attention ;  and  societies  were  formed  in  Boston, 
Portsmouth,  and  several  other  places. 

This  zealous  reformer,  with  some  of  his  allies, 
would  have  been  very  glad  to  have  numbered  Mr. 
Belknap  among  their  converts  ;  and  his  dissent  from 
one  prevailing  custom  of  the  New  England  churches, 
probably  gave  them  some  hope  of  success.  Their 
efforts  for  this  end  were  unavailing,  as  the  penetra- 
tion of  that  gentleman  was  not  slow  in  discovering 
their  design,  though  craftily  hidden  under  various 
pretexts  ;  and  all  they  effected  was  a  misrepresenta- 


46  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

tion  of  his  character  by  Robert  Sandeman,  in  a 
letter  to  one  of  bis  friends  in  London,  which  was 
read  in  their  public  meeting,  April,  1769. 

The  paragraph  is  as  follows  : 

"  Mr.  Belknap,  a  preacher  at ,  who  is  so  ex- 
asperated and  wilfully  blinds  his  eyes  from  the  truth, 
that  he  has  raised  a  bone  of  contention  among  his 
people.  I  had  a  long  conference  with  him  on  the 
scriptures,  but  he  is  wilfully  obstinate  in  his  way. 
Thus  we  see  the  words  of  our  Saviour  justly  come 
to  pass,  that  they  will  not  come  unto  him,  &c." 

The  above  paragraph  is  an  apt  illustration  of  the 
way  in  which  malice  defeats  itself.  These  violent 
expressions,  instead  of  injuring  the  person  to  whom 
they  were  applied,  only  serve  to  show  clearly  the 
vexation  and  disappointment  of  Sandeman  himself, 
at  having  failed  to  gain  so  important  a  convert ;  and 
the  blow  aimed  at  Mr.  Belknap's  character  recoils 
upon  his  own. 

He  died  in  Danbury,  Connecticut,  2d  April,  1771, 
aged  53  years.  His  epitaph  contains  the  distin- 
guishing tenet  of  the  sect  —  "  that  the  bare  work 
of  Jesus  Christ,  without  a  deed  or  thought  on  the 
part  of  man,  is  sufficient  to  present  the  chief  of  sin- 
ners spotless  before  God." 

For  a  further  account  of  this  sect,  the  curious 
reader  is  referred  to  the  "  View  of  Religions,  by 
Hannah  Adams."  They  seem  to  have  passed  quietly 
away,   leaving   behind   scarcely   a  trace    of  their 


HISTORICAL   INQUIRIES.  47 

existence  except  a  few  forgotten  volumes,  and  their 
place  is  occupied  among  us  by  more  modern  extrav- 
agances. 

Mr.  Belknap  was  very  modest  in  estimating  his 
own  powers,  and  willing  to  be  guided  in  the  use  of 
them  by  friendly  advice,  as  is  shown  by  the  follow- 
ing letter  to  Captain  "Waldron  : 

"  Sir, 

"  You  cannot  help  having  observed  in  me  an 
inquisitive  disposition  in  historical  matters.  I  find  it 
so  strong  and  powerful,  and  withal  so  increasing  with 
my  opportunities  for  gratifying  it,  that  it  has  become 
a  question  with  me,  whether  I  might  not  freely  in- 
dulge it,  with  a  view  to  the  benefit  of  my  fellow-men, 
as  well  as  for  my  own  improvement.  As  it  is  natural 
for  us  to  inquire  into  the  ancient  state  and  circum- 
stances of  the  place  of  our  own  abode,  and  to  enter- 
tain a  peculiar  fondness  for  such  inquiries  in  prefer- 
ence to  more  foreign  matters  ;  so  I  have  applied 
myself  in  some  leisure  hours  (making  it  of  late  my 
principal  amusement)  to  learn  what  I  can  from 
printed  books  and  manuscripts,  and  the  information 
of  aged  and  intelligent  persons,  of  the  former  state 
and  affairs  of  this  town  and  province. 

"  The  knowledge  I  have  yet  obtained  is  at  pres- 
ent very  imperfect ;  but  I  find  a  disposition  to  pursue 
it  with  a  view  to  the  collecting  some  memoirs,  which 
may  in  future  time,  after  much  reviewing  and  cor- 


48  LIFE   OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

recting  by  myself  and  others,  be  made  public.  And 
as  I  have  never  in  a  formal  manner  acquainted  you 
with  it,  I  now  take  this  method  of  doing  it  for  this 
reason,  namely,  because  I  have  such  a  value  for 
your  judgment,  and  must  depend  so  much  on  your 
favor  and  assistance  in  the  prosecution  of  such  a 
work,  that  it  would  be  arrogant  in  me  to  determine 
to  pursue  it  without  your  approbation,  and  the 
promise  of  your  help  ;  and  I  am  loth  to  put  you  to 
the  trouble  of  an  immediate  answer,  but  should  be 
glad  if  you  would  think  of  it,  and  let  me  know  your 
mind  at  such  time  and  in  such  manner  as  will  best 
suit  you. 

"  I  desire  you  would  speak  freely ;  and  if  you 
think  that  my  age  or  abilities,  or  circumstances  as  a 
minister,  or  opportunities  for  collecting  fit  materials, 
or  any  other  matters,  are  objections  against  my  un- 
dertaking it,  I  shall  immediately  give  up  all  thoughts 
of  making  public  any  thing  of  the  kind,  and  shall 
confine  myself  entirely  to  my  own  amusement. 

"July  17th,  1772." 

A  muster  of  militia  was  to  take  place  in  Dover  in 
November,  and  Captain  Waldron  expressed  a  wish 
to  Mr.  Belknap,  that  he  would  preach  a  sermon  to  the 
soldiers  on  military  duty.  At  first  he  declined,  think- 
ing the  subject  not  a  fitting  one  for  a  clergyman  ; 
but  his  own  words  are  the  best. 

"  Such  a  discourse,  on  such  an  occasion,  delivered 


INVITED   TO    ADDRESS    THE   MILITARY.  49 

by  a  statesman,  with  that  flow  of  pathetic  eloquence 
which  the  subject  naturally  tends  to  inspire,  would 
be  a  most  graceful  and  pleasing  entertainment,  and 
might  be  reckoned  the  most  useful  performance  of 
the  day  ;  but  for  me  to  attempt  any  thing  of  the 
kind,  would,  I  think,  be  rather  improper. 

"  The  business  of  a  gospel  minister  is  to  promote 
the  kingdom  of  the  Prince  of  Peace,  by  enlightening 
the  conscience,  or  reforming  the  morals  of  mankind  ; 
but  I  do  not  at  present  conceive  how  such  a  formal 
discourse  can  tend  to  either  of  these  purposes. 
Perhaps  you  may  think  that  the  same  objection  will 
lie  against  my  engaging  in  another  design,  with 
which  you  are  already  acquainted ;  but  if  I  did  not 
think  it  might  be  so  managed  as  not  only  to  be  a 
detail  of  facts,  but  also  a  conveyance  of  reflections 
tending  to  the  advancement  of  religion  and  morality, 
I  would  entirely  lay  it  aside  as  unbecoming  my  pro- 
fession. '  An  historian,'  says  a  judicious  author 
at  my  elbow,  '  ought  to  demand  of  himself,  at  every 
touch,  whether  that  reflection  will  assist  in  promot- 
ing the  knowledge,  virtue,  and  happiness  of  human 
nature  :  he  ought  to  reject  whatever  does  not  carry 
that  end  in  view.'  " 

A  week  later,  Mr.  Belknap  wrote  as  follows  : 

"  Sir, 

"  My  attempts  for  obtaining  a  conference 
with  you  unon  the  subject  of  your  last  week's  letter 
4 


50  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

having  proved  ineffectual,  I  am  not  apprised  of  year 
sentiments  on  the  objection  which  I  made  to  the  pro- 
posal. My  desire  of  gratifying  you,  added  to  the 
natural  love  which  I  bear  to  my  country,  and  will- 
ingness to  promote  its  best  interests,  has  led  me 
further  to  consider  the  matter  which  you  referred  to 
my  attention ;  and  I  have  placed  it  in  such  a  point 
of  view  as  I  think  brings  it  under  a  moral  consider- 
ation. 

"War  (though  in  some  cases  lawful  and  neces- 
sary) is  such  an  evil  as  ought  to  be  dreaded  and 
guarded  against  as  much  as  is  in  the  power  of  hu- 
man wisdom.  Every  community  ought  to  use  the 
most  likely  means  to  guard  and  protect  itself  against 
every  kind  of  injury,  and  maintain  that  public  peace 
which  is  so  desirable  and  essential  a  part  of  public 
happiness  ;  without  which,  life,  liberty,  and  prop- 
erty, cannot  be  safe.  And  if  it  should  appear  that 
the  promoting  military  discipline  is  a  means  of  pre- 
serving peace  ;  of  rendering  ourselves  formidable, 
so  as  to  keep  an  enemy  from  disturbing  us  ;  then  it 
ought  to  be  encouraged  as  such,  and  not  as  a  means 
of  destroying  mankind. 

"  If  I  surround  my  house  with  sharp  palisadoes, 
it  is  not  from  a  desire  of  hurting  my  enemies,  but  to 
keep  myself  secure  :  if  they  will  assault  me,  they 
must  take  the  consequence." 


SERMON    OX    MILITARY    DUTY.  51 

The  sermon  was  accordingly  written,  and  was 
preached  at  Dover,  Nov.  10th,  1772,  before  his 
Excellency,  John  "Went worth,  Esq.,  governor  of  His 
Majesty's  province  of  Xew  Hampshire,  at  a  re- 
view of  the  second  regiment  of  Foot  in  said  province ; 
and  met  so  favorable  a  hearing,  that  the  officers  re- 
quested a  copy  for  the  press,  which  was  granted. 

This  discourse  was  referred  to  by  Governor  Went- 
worth,  in  a  letter  to  Mr.  Belknap,  written  more  than 
twenty  years  after  its  delivery,  as  having  convinced 
him  of  the  folly  of  attempting  to  destroy  Christianity 
by  force  of  arms,  and  afforded  him  consolation  dur- 
ing the  calamitous  events  of  the  French  Revolution. 

The  text  was  that  reply  of  Jesus  to  Pilate,  u  If 
my  kingdom  were  of  this  world,  then  would  my  ser- 
vants fight,  that  I  should  not  be  delivered  to  the 
Jews  ;  but  now  is  my  kingdom  not  from  hence."  A 
few  extracts  will  serve  to  show  how  the  subject  is 
treated. 

"  The  meek  and  compassionate  Redeemer  of  the 
world,  who  '  came  not  to  destroy  men's  lives,  but  to 
save  them,'  though  he  commands  his  disciples  to 
'  live  peaceably  with  all  men,  to  be  tender-hearted 
and  forgiving,  even  toward  their  bitterest  personal 
enemies,'  yet  does  not  expect  that,  considered  as 
members  of  civil  societies,  they  should  tamely  sub- 
mit to  such  injuries  as  tend  to  overthrow  the  peace 
and  safety  of  the  kingdoms  of  this  world  in  which 
they  dwell." 


52  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

"  What  a  striking  proof  of  the  lawfulness  of  self- 
defence  has  our  blessed  Lord  given  us  in  that  noble 
testimony  which  he  bore  to  '  the  truth,'  when  he 
stood  unjustly  arraigned  before  Pilate's  bar,  ex- 
plaining and  vindicating  his  claim  to  the  kingdom 
of  Israel !  In  answer  to  Pilate's  demands,  '  whether 
he  was  king  of  the  Jews,'  and  '  what  he  had  done,' 
our  Lord  declares,  '  My  kingdom  is  not  of  this 
world :  if  my  kingdom  were  of  'this  world,  then 
would  my  servants  fight,  that  I  should  not  be  deliv- 
ered to  the  Jews  ;  but  now  is  my  kingdom  not  from 
hence.'  By  this  '  good  confession,'  he  cleared  him- 
self from  the  charge  of  being  an  enemy  to  Caesar, 
and  proved  that  he  had  no  design  to  set  up  as  a 
rival  to  the  Roman  government,  yet  still  holding  his 
claim  to  the  title  of  King,  and  declaring  the  nature 
of  his  kingdom  to  be  entirely  different  from  all  the 
kingdoms  of  this  world,  which  cannot  subsist  with- 
ont  the  means  of 'self-defence.  It  is  plain  that 
Christ  did  not  allow  his  disciples  to  fight  in  his  de- 
fence ;  for  he  had  just  before  reproved  Peter  for 
drawing  his  sword  and  smiting  the  High  Priest's 
servant,  and  it  is  as  plain  from  our  Lord's  own  de- 
claration, that  if  his  kingdom  had  been  of  this  world 
he  would  have  allowed  them  to  fight  for  him."  *  * 

"  That  Christ  makes  a  distinction  between  his 
new  kingdom  and  the  ancient  kingdom  of  Israel, 
appears  from  this  clause,  '  but  now  is  my  kingdom 
not  from  hence.'     The  word  now  implies  that  there 


SERMON   ON   MILITARY   DUTY.  53 

was  some  alteration  made  in  the  nature  of  his  king- 
dom, or  that  what  was  before  his  kingdom  did  now 
cease  to  be  so,  and  give  way  to  a  more  pure  and 
spiritual  dispensation."     *     *     * 

"We  are,  then,  to  consider  our  Lord's  words  as 
holding  forth  to  us  these  two  contrasted  truths  : 
That  when  God's  kingdom  subsisted  under  a  tem- 
poral form,  as  a  kingdom  of  this  world,  it  was  both 
lawful  and  necessary  that  it  should  be  defended  by 
the  sword.     But, 

"  That  that  ancient  constitution  is  now  dissolved, 

and  the  kingdom  of  God  is  a  spiritual  kingdom,  not 

of  this  world,  and  therefore  not  capable  of  being 

defended  by  the  sword." 

********** 

"  Whoever  understands  the  nature  of  Christ's 
kingdom  must  be  sensible  that  an  attempt  to  de- 
fend it  by  arms  would  be  equally  rash  and  ridicu- 
lous, it  being  absolutely  impossible  to  do  it.  Men 
may  defend  what  they  call  the  kingdom  of  Christ  ; 
they  may  defend  a  fomi  of  Christianity  which  has 
been  interwoven  with  their  civil  government,  and 
makes  a  part  of  their  constitution.  Such  establish- 
ments may  be  defended  and  may  be  destroyed  by 
the  sword  ;  and  if  every  such  establishment  were 
actually  destroyed,  the  kingdom  of  Christ  would 
still  subsist  unhurt ;  for  it  is  not  in  the  power  of  men 
or  devils  to  abolish  that  glorious  constitution  which 
is  "  built  on  the  foundation  of  the  apostles  and  pro- 


54  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

phets,  Jesus  Christ  himself  being  the  chief  corner- 
stone.' " 

"  It  is  in  vain,  then,  to  think  of  using  the  sword 
in  defence  of  Christ's  kingdom  :  it  is  so  spiritual  and 
heavenly  in  its  nature,  that  no  weapon  formed 
against  it  shall  prosper,  nor  can  any  weapon  used  in 
its  defence  be  of  the  least  avail.  It  is  able  to  sub- 
sist in  the  world,  not  only  without  help  from  the 
kingdoms  of  the  world,  but  even  in  defiance  of  all 
their  art  and  strength,  all  their  malice  and  enmity, 
against  it.  And  as  it  receives  no  support  from,  so 
it  does  no  injury  to  them.  It  does  not  interfere 
wTith  any  of  their  natural  rights  and  privileges.  It 
makes  no  alteration  in  their  constitutions.  It  does 
not  deprive  the  prince  of  the  allegiance  of  his  sub- 
jects, nor  the  subjects  of  the  protection  of  their  sove- 
reign ;  but  it  leaves  all  matters  relating  to  civil 
society  and  government  in  the  same  state  as  it  found 
them,  only  enforcing  the  natural  duty  of  subjection 
and  obedience  to  the  higher  powers  from  the  noblest 
motives ;  and  as  to  the  natural  right  which  all  the 
kingdoms  of  this  world  have  to  defend  themselves 
by  the  sword,  Christ  has  never  made  the  least  alter- 
ation, but  has  rather  implicitly  recognized  and 
allowed  it." 

The  Governor  had  a  high  opinion  of  Mr.  Belknap, 
and  wished  him  to  educate  his  nephew.  To  induce 
him  to  undertake  this  charge,  he  wrote  the  following 
letter : 


CORRESPONDENCE    WITH    GOV.    WENTWORTH.      55 
"Portsmouth,  January  1st,  1770. 

"Rev.  Sir, 

"  Being  very  solicitous  for  the  future  wel- 
fare of  my  nephew  Mark  AYentworth  (who  is  now 
more  than  seven  years  old),  which  I  know  wholly 
depends  on  a  wise,  kind,  and  virtuous  education  ; 
and  considering  the  utter  impossibility  of  my  having 
sufficient  time  to  undertake  so  important  and  so 
interesting  a  charge  ;  I  am  therefore  induced  to 
request  this  essential  favor  of  you.  This  boy  is 
intimately  dear  to  me.  Fine  health,  a  good  dispo- 
sition, and  great  vivacity,  promise  every  improve- 
ment if  under  your  care.  Permit  me,  then,  to  beg 
you  '11  receive  him  into  your  family :  under  such 
circumstances,  I  shall  delight  in  any  expense,  and, 
relying  on  your  goodness,  have  no  terms  to  propose, 
only  that  you  '11  take  the  lad,  and  give  me  leave  to 
embrace  yours  :  which  will  extremely  oblige, 
"  Reverend  Sir, 

"Your  most  obedient  Servant, 
"  J.  Wentworth." 

The  following  is  an  extract  from  the  reply  to  this 
letter  : 

"Dover.  January  8th,  1770. 

"  May  it  please  your  Excellency, 

"  I  acknowledge  myself  much  honored  and 
greatly  obliged  by  your  Excellency's  good  opinion 
of  me,  implied  in  the  very  important  request  made 


56  LIFE  OF  DR.    BELKNAP. 

by  your  letter  of  the  1st  inst.  Permit  me,  Sir,  to 
express  my  sincere  wish,  that  I  may  not  be  so  un- 
happy as  to  forfeit  your  favorable  sentiments,  by  the 
answer  which  I  am  obliged  to  return. 

"  Were  my  situation  such  as  to  permit  my  close 
attention  to  the  business  of  education,  nothing  would 
equal  the  pleasure  with  which  I  should  embrace  such 
an  opportunity  of  showing  my  duty  and  respect  to 
your  Excellency,  and  my  tender  regard  to  the  child 
who  is  the  object  of  so  much  affection.  But  divine 
Providence  has  committed  to  my  immediate  and  par- 
ticular charge  an  increasing  family,  the  due  regu- 
lation of  which  requires  as  much  of  my  time  and 
thoughts  as  will  consist  with  the  pastoral  care  of  a 
great  number  of  immortal  souls,  to  whom  I  must 
devote  the  principal  part  of  my  time  ;  being  obliged 
thereto,  not  only  by  my  solemn  vows,  but  by  their 
kindness  to  me,  and  the  competent  provision  which 
they  have  made  for  my  support. 

"  That  sense  of  my  duty  which  lies  always  on  my 
conscience,  forbids  my  admitting  of  any  unnecessary 
interruption  to  its  faithful  discharge ;  and  that  im- 
provement of  my  time  therein,  which  I  am  bound  to 
by  the  most  sacred  engagements,  leaves  me  no  va- 
cant hours  for  so  constant,  regular,  and  critical  an 
attention,  as  the  education  of  a  child  of  such  a  rank 
in  life,  and  such  raised  expectations,  demands  ;  and 
should  I  give  him  only  such  an  irregular  and  im- 
methodical  education  as  my  present  circumstances 


DECLINES  THE  EDUCATION  OF  YOUTH.    57 

will  allow,  it  would  be  a  mispence  of  money,  and 
would  afford  neither  profit  to  the  child,  nor  credit  to 
myself. 

"  If,  to  use  your  Excellency's  words,  you  *  find 
the  utter  impossibility  of  your  having  sufficient  time 
to  undertake  so  important  and  interesting  a  charge,' 
by  reason  of  the  public  business  with  which  our  gra- 
cious sovereign  hath  intrusted  your  Excellency,  I 
may  justly  hope  to  stand  excused  in  your  viewT  from 
engaging  in  that  which  would  in  any  measure  hin- 
der me  from  faithfully  discharging  the  trust  com- 
mitted to  me  by  the  Supreme  Ruler. 

"  Captain  Waldron  has  made  me  a  visit,  to  sec- 
ond your  Excellency's  request,  and  offer  me  his  son 
of  the  same  age  as  a  companion  to  your  nephew ; 
and  could  I  attend  the  business,  I  would  readily  un- 
dertake it ;  but  I  find  so  many  weighty  reasons 
operating  the  contrary  way,  that  I  must  deny  my- 
self the  pleasure  which  would  otherwise  result  from 
it ;  nor  is  this  the  only  time  that  I  have  been 
obliged  to  withstand  pressing  requests  of  the  same 
nature  from  kind  and  worthy  friends  both  here  and 
elsewhere." 

The  '  competent  provision,'  mentioned  in  this  let- 
ter, was  a  salary  of  £100  a  year,  to  be  paid  once  in 
six  months  ;  and  the  failure  of  the  parish  to  fulfil 
their  obligations  in  this  particular,  finally  caused  hi3 
departure  from  Dover,  after  a  great  deal  of  suffer- 


58  LIFE   OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

ing.  A  letter  to  the  selectmen  in  October,  1773, 
shows  the  difficulty  with  which  any  payment  was 
obtained. 

"  Gextlemen, 

"  As  the  appointment  of  the  same  person  to 
be  collector  both  of  the  province  and  parish  taxes  has 
been  a  detriment  to  me,  because  my  salary  has  not 
been  paid  so  punctually  as  when  the  collector  for 
the  parish  had  no  other  office  ;  and  as  I  understand 
that  the  collector  this  year  has  an  additional  service 
to  perform,  and  is  to  pay  a  large  sum  to  the  county 
treasurer  in  December,  and  to  the  province  treas- 
urer in  January,  whereby  I  have  reason  to  fear, 
from  former  experience  of  this  kind,  that  I  shall  not 
be  able  to  obtain  from  him  a  seasonable  supply  of 
money  for  necessary  purposes  at  this  time  of  the 
year ;  this  is  therefore  to  put  you  in  mind,  that,  by 
the  terms  of  my  settlement  which  you  may  see  in 
the  parish  records,  I  have  a  right  to  the  payment 
of  my  salary  every  six  months  ;  and  if  these  terms 
were  complied  with,  I  should  have  had  fifty  pounds 
paid  me  by  the  19th  of  September. 

"  I  desire  therefore,  Gentlemen,  that  you  would 
consider  my  claim  of  fifty  pounds  in  September  to 
be  prior  to  the  demands,  either  of  the  county  or 
province  treasurers,  and  would  direct  the  collector 
accordingly. 

"  That  the  payment  of  it  may  not  be  difficult,  I 


LETTER   TO   A   COLLEGIAN.  59 

shall  consider  what  I  have  received  by  the  contribu- 
tion, and  of  particular  persons  with  whom  I  have  deal- 
ings, as  part  of  it ;  so  that  I  suppose,  if  ten  or  fifteen 
pounds  is  paid  me  by  the  collector  by  the  19th  of 
November,  it  will  be  sufficient  to  answer  my  present 
purposes." 

Mr.  Belknap  possessed  one  important  qualifica- 
tion for  the  ministerial  office,  which  requires  him 
who  holds  it  to  be  the  adviser  or  reprover,  as  occasion 
demands,  of  those  who  are  under  his  pastoral  care  ; 
by  this  is  meant  a  singular  felicity  in  expressing  dis- 
agreeable truths  in  a  pleasant  manner,  so  that  no  ill 
feeling  was  roused  in  the  person  addressed.  One 
of  his  friends  used  to  say  he  was  the  only  person 
within  his  knowledge,  who  could  communicate  to  pa- 
rents the  fact  of  a  child's  want  of  capacity,  without 
giving  offence  ;  and  he  says  himself,  l  Where  the 
matter  of  any  subject  is  in  itself  disagreeable,  it  is 
no  easy  thing  to  represent  it  in  such  a  manner  as 
will  make  it  agreeable.'  Yet  the  following  letter  to 
a  young  collegian,  though  on  a  very  unpleasant  sub- 
ject, his  own  follies  and  sins,  is  written  in  a  spirit  so 
truly  kind  and  Christian,  that  it  could  hardly  have 
been  unwelcome  or  disregarded  : 

"Dear  Sir, 

"  I  hardly  know  how  to  address  you  on  such 
an  occasion,  as  letters  of  this  kind  seldom  gain  a 


60  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

favorable  reception,  and  I  have  exposed  myself  to 
resentment  by  such  means  ;  but  an  honest  regard  to 
your  welfare  must  prevail  over  every  other  consider- 
ation, and  I  am  certain  I  cannot  deserve  contempt, 
though  I  should  chance  to  experience  it. 

"  My  indistinct  knowledge  of  particular  circum- 
stances may  apologize  for  mistakes  ;  but  the  common 
report  concerning  your  behaviour,  and  my  knowledge 
of  the  temptations  of  a  college  life,  have  for  some 
time  past  given  me  great  concern  on  your  account, 
and  strongly  urged  me  to  write  to  you  ;  but  hoping 
that  the  advice  of  your  worthy  President,  whose 
friendship  for  your  family  is  very  great,  would  have 
some  good  effect  upon  you,  I  forbore  till  I  heard 
the  melancholy  account  of  the  public  disgrace  to 
which  you  have  exposed  yourself.  And  now,  my 
dear  friend,  I  must  express  my  very  hearty  sorrow 
to  you  on  the  occasion. 

"  I  have  been  a  witness  to  the  tender  solicitude 
of  your  worthy  parents  concerning  you,  ever  since 
you  have  been  at  college.  "When  they  have  exerted 
themselves  so  much  beyond  their  ability  to  give  you 
an  education,  and  experienced  such  kind  assistance 
from  their  friends  in  hope  that  it  would  turn  to  good 
account,  and  that  all  would  be  richly  repaid  by 
your  improvement  in  knowledge  and  virtue,  and 
other  amiable  accomplishments  for  usefulness  in  the 
world, —  how  mortifying  must  it  be  to  them  to  hear 
of  your  unworthy  behavior,  and  exposing  yourself 
to  the  reproaches  of  a  malignant  world  ! 


MINISTERIAL   TRIALS.  61 

"  Were  the  eccentricities  of  your  conduct  con- 
fined within  the  circle  of  your  intimate  acquaintance, 
or  known  only  to  God  and  yourself,  they  would  call 
for  deep  self-abasement  and  humiliation  ;  but  when 
they  are  so  public,  how  much  louder  is  the  call  to  a 
serious  consideration  of  their  unhappy  effects  on 
your  own  reputation  and  usefulness,  as  well  as  their 
pernicious  influence  upon  others  ! 

"  My  dear  friend,  I  am  far  from  thinking  you  the 
worst  or  most  abandoned  of  sinners.  I  know  very 
well  the  temptations  to  which  you  are  exposed,  hav- 
ing experienced  them  all ;  and  I  know  the  good 
effects  of  faithful  admonition.  You  cannot  but 
know,  in  your  retired  hours,  that  you  have  disgraced 
yourself  and  offended  your  best  friends,  however 
fond  a  youthful  imagination  may  be  of  palliating 
crimes  ;  *  *  *  and  you  cannot  take  it  amiss,  that 
I  should  assume  this  character,  and  advise  you  to 
wipe  away  the  stain  you  have  brought  on  your  char- 
acter, by  a  serious  repentance  and  visible  amend- 
ment." 

Mr.  Belknap's  life  was  now  one  of  constant  and 
laborious  occupation.  Devoted  to  the  duties  of 
his  calling,  to  which  he  would  gladly  have  given  his 
whole  time,  the  failure  of  the  parish  to  pay  him  his 
salary,  which  was  barely  sufficient  for  the  support  of 
his  family,  obliged  him  to  practise  the  most  severe 
economy  in  the  management  of  household  affairs  ; 


02  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

and,  as  his  children  advanced,  the  want  of  a  school 
compelled  hira  to  become  their  instructor. 

The  unsettled  state  of  public  affairs,  the  prevailing 
discontent  vrith  the  mother  country,  and  the  effects 
which  the  policy  pursued  were  producing,  are  thus 
forcibly  described  in  a  letter  to  Mr.  John  Stafford, 
a  dissenting  clergyman  in  London : 

u  The  paper  on  which  I  write  is  the  manufacture 
of  this  country,  where  many  valuable  arts  and  man- 
ufactures, unknown  till  of  late,  are  now  gaining 
ground,  and  yield  a  pleasant  prospect  of  our  future 
wealth  and  greatness.  If  the  present  despotic  sys- 
tem formed  on  your  side  the  water  is  continued, 
we  expect  to  see  our  seaport  towns  diminished  ;  but 
our  inland  territories  will  be  vastly  improved,  and  a 
foundation  laid  for  a  considerable  empire  in  time  to 
come.  Your  ministry  and  parliament  are  undesign- 
edly taking  the  most  direct  steps  to  accomplish  this 
end.  Had  the  lenient  spirit  of  George  the  Second's 
reign  continued  to  this  time,  our  pockets  would  have 
been  emptied,  and  our  lands  mortgaged  to  the  Brit- 
ish merchants,  while  we  should  have  had  nothing  to 
show  for  them  but  idle  superfluities. 

"  But  the  rage  of  jealous  prerogative  has  awak- 
ened our  native  spirit  of  freedom,  and  taught  us  the 
wisdom  of  saving  our  money,  and  improving  our  own 
country.  Your  manufacturers  are  frequently  com- 
ing over  to  us ;  and  every  regiment  sent  to  keep  us 


LETTER   ON    POLITICAL    AFFAIRS. 

in  awe,  furnishes  artists  of  various  kinds,  who  prefer 
a  quiet  settlement  in  their  proper  business,  to  the 
noise  and  discipline  of  a  camp,  and,  by  deserting 
their  military  slavery,  serve  this  community  in  an 
honorable  and  important  way. 

"  The  tyranny  formerly  established  in  Great 
Britain  drove  our  forefathers  hither,  and  began  the 
settlement  of  this  valuable  country.  Wiser  princes 
who  succeeded,  reaped  the  benefit  thereof,  in  the 
commerce,  bravery,  and  affection  of  this  people. 

"  The  tyranny  now  establishing  will,  while  it 
subsists,  hinder  our  being  serviceable  to  the  British 
kingdom,  but  will  cause  such  a  vast  increase  of 
power  as  will  make  future  monarchs  esteem  Ameri- 
can loyalty  the  brightest  jewel  in  their  crown. 

"  These  sentiments  are  not  the  reveries  of  enthu- 
siasm, but  the  most  probable  consequences  that  can 
be  foreseen.  However,  I  can  venture  to  assure  you, 
there  is  not  a  man  in  America  who  would  wish  for 
a  divorce  from  the  British  nation,  if  the  equity  and 
moderation  of  the  last  reign  could  be  restored." 

Dover,  which  is  now  one  of  our  principal  manu 
facturing  towns,  had  not  at  that  time  made  use  of 
the  power  to  create  wealth  that  lay  concealed  in  the 
waters  of  the  Cocheco  ;  and  the  force  of  steam  was 
yet  undeveloped,  so  that  all  the  spinning  and  weav- 
ing was  household  labor.  To  encourage  industry, 
spinning  matches  were  held  from  time  to  time  ;  and 


6-i  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

an  account  of  one  at  Mr.  Belknap's  house  is  given 
in  a  small  memorandum,  as  follows  : 

"After  the  laudable  example  of  the  ladies  in 
divers  towns  of  this  and  the  neighboring  provinces, 
on  Thursday  last,  about  forty  ladies  met  at  the 
minister's  house  in  Dover,  some  of  whom  brought 
with  them  flax  and  cotton  to  spin,  and  others  the 
yarn  ready  spun  ;  and,  after  spending  the  day  in  a 
very  industrious  and  agreeable  manner,  they  gene- 
rously presented  to  Mrs.  Belknap  the  fruits  of  their 
labor,  which  amounted  to  2^2  skeins  of  seven  knots 
each,  beside  the  surplus  of  their  materials,  which 
the  time  did  not  allow  them  to  spin.  They  behaved 
with  the  utmost  order  and  decency,  and  were  enter- 
tained with  the  best  refreshments  the  season  afforded, 
which  were  kindly  and  plentifully  supplied  by  those 
who  were  well-wishers  to  industry." 


JOURNEY    TO    DARTMOUTH    COLLEGE.  65 

CHAPTER  III. 

1774—1782. 

Journey  to  Dartmouth  College.  —  Correspondence 
iv'ttli  Colonel  Phillips. — Excitement  at  Ports- 
mouth.—  Address  to  People  of  Neiv  Hamp shire. 
— Address  to  British  Officers. — Extracts  from 
Commonplace  Book. — Breaking  out  of  Hostili- 
ties.—  Mr.  Belknap  is  invited  to  be  Chaplain  to 
the  Troops  at  Cambridge.  —  Visits  the  Camp. — 
Letters  of  Dr.  A.  Eliot. 

Ix  the  summer  of  1774,  Mr.  Belknap  journeyed 
to  Hanover,  to  attend  the  Commencement  at  Dart- 
mouth College.  The  distance  to  be  travelled  from 
Dover  was  one  hundred  and  thirty  miles,  which  oc- 
cupied nearly  six  days.  He  left  home  on  Thursday, 
August  18th,  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning.  The 
first  day's  ride  was  enlivened  by  such  companions 
as  chance  threw  in  his  way  ;  the  second  day  he 
joined  several  gentlemen  who  had  the  same  object 
in  view  ;  and  before  they  reached  their  destination, 
the  party  consisted  of  eight  or  ten,  who  at  Lime 
were  joined  by  a  number  of  gentlemen  from  the 
College,  to  which  they  rode  through  the  rain,  and 
arrived  about  two  in  the  afternoon  of  Tuesday  the 
23d.  The  intervening  Sabbath  was  passed  at  Ply- 
mouth, and  Mr.  Belknap's  journal  says  : 
5 


66  LIFE    OF    DR.    BELKNAP. 

"  By  invitation  from  Mr.  Ward,  the  minister,  I 
preached.  The  congregation  was  considerably  large 
and  very  attentive  ;  the  meeting-house  small,  but 
well-contrived.  Mr.  Ward  informs  me  the  church 
consists  of  forty  members,  has  two  ruling  elders  and 
two  deacons.  There  have  been  two  seasons  of  re- 
ligious impression  among  them,  one  about  four,  and 
the  other  five  years  ago,  when  divers  were  added  to 
the  church.  The  way  of  admitting  members  is  by 
relation  ;  the  practice  of  owning  the  covenant  is  laid 
aside.  Mr.  Ward  appears  to  be,  and  bears  the 
character  of,  a  very  pious,  meek,  and  charitable  man. 
He  has  eleven  children." 

The  following  account  of  his  visit  is  transcribed 
from  the  same  journal,  which  gives  curious  but  inter- 
esting details  of  the  early  condition  of  this  literary 
institution : 

"  Dined  with  the  President  (Eleazer  Wheelock), 
who  appeared  somewhat  disappointed  at  the  Gover- 
nor's not  coming.  After  dinner,  walked  down  to 
Connecticut  river  opposite  to  the  college,  where  is  a 
ferry,  —  observed  on  a  tree  where  the  bark  was  cut 
off,  the  figure  of  an  Indian  painted,  which  was  done 
by  one  of  the  Indian  scholars. 

"At  evening  prayers,  by  the  President's  desire,  I 
preached  a  sermon  in  the  college  hall ;  —  supped 
and  lodged  at  the  President's.  In  the  evening,  the 
front  of  the  college  was  illuminated, 


DARTMOUTH    COLLEGE.  07 

"  The  plain  where  the  college  stands  is  large  and 
pleasant,  and  the  land  good.  The  college  is  about 
seventy  or  eighty  feet  long  and  thirty  broad,  con- 
taining twenty  chambers.  The  hall  is  a  distinct 
building,  which  also  serves  for  a  meeeting-house  ; 
and  the  kitchen  is  in  one  end  of  it.  The  President's 
house  stands  on  a  rising  ground  east  of  the  college  ; 
and  to  the  north  of  this  is  the  place  proposed  to  build 
the  new  college,  near  a  quarry  of  grey  stone,  which  is 
intended  for  the  material  of  the  building.  There  is 
another  quarry  much  larger,  about  three  quarters  of 
a  mile  distant.  The  tutors  are  Messrs.  Woodward, 
Ripley,  Wheelock,  and  Smith ;  the  two  former  are 
married  to  the  President's  daughters.  Several 
tradesmen  and  taverners  are  settled  round  the  col- 
lege, in  good  buildings,  which  gives  the  place  the 
appearance  of  a  village. 

"  Wednesday,  Aug.  24th. — Walked  to  the  mills, 
about  a  mile  distant.  Here  are  a  saw  and  grist- 
mill, and  a  house  in  which  six  scholars  reside,  who 
take  the  mills  to  the  halves,  and  live  a  kind  of  philo- 
sophic, laborious  life  :  they  maintain  themselves 
by  their  labor.  Their  house,  which  is  entirely  of 
their  own  construction,  is  a  curiosity.  It  consists 
of  one  room  and  one  chamber,  the  stairs  outside. 
The  chamber  is  arched  with  boards,  for  the  better 
sound  of  the  voice  in  singing.  The  chairs  and 
tables  are  contrived  in  an  odd  manner,  and  they 
have  a  wooden  clock.     At  the  door  is  an  upright 


68  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

pipe,  with  a  spout  like  a  pump,  which  is  continually 
running  with  brook  water,  conveyed  down  a  covered 
descent ;  so  that  they  have  only  to  hold  a  vessel 
under  it,  and  it  is  immediately  filled.  They  have 
a  neat  poultry  house,  built  of  sawed  strips  of  wood, 
in  the  form  of  a  cob-house,  with  four  apartments. 

"  I  went  round  and  visited  all  the  Indian  scholars, 
most  of  whom  could  speak  good  English  ;  one  little 
boy  was  so  shy  that  he  would  not  be  seen.  Here  is  a 
likely  ingenious  Frenchman,  Joseph  Marie  Verrueil, 
who  came  hither  of  his  own  accord,  and,  being 
taught  to  read  the  Bible  and  judge  for  himself,  has 
now  become  a  thorough  Protestant. 

"  The  President  appears  to  be  much  affected  with 
the  reports  that  are  circulated  concerning  the  bad- 
ness of  the  provisions,  on  which  account  some  have 
left  the  college.  Last  evening  he  entered  into  a 
large  and  warm  vindication  of  himself,  declaring 
that  the  reports  are  all  false,  and  that  he  did  not 
doubt  but  '  God  would  bring  forth  his  righteousness 
as  the  light,  and  his  judgment  as  the  noon-day.' 
He  has  had  the  mortification  to  lose  two  cows,  and 
the  rest  were  greatly  hurt  by  a  contagious  distem- 
per, so  that  they  could  not  have  a  full  supply  of 
milk  ;  and  once  the  pickle  leaked  out  of  the  beef 
barrel,  so  that  the  meat  zvas  not  sweet.  He  had 
also  been  ill-used  with  respect  to  the  purchase  of 
some  wheat,  so  that  they  had  smutty  bread  for  a 
while,  &c.     The  scholars,  on  the  other  hand,  say 


DARTMOUTH   COLLEGE.  69 

they  scarce  ever  have  any  thing  but  pork  and  greens, 
without  vinegar,  and  pork  and  potatoes ;  that  fresh 
meat  comes  but  very  seldom,  and  that  the  victuals 
are  very  badly  dressed.  The  trustees  have  drawn 
up  something  of  a  vindication,  after  a  full  inquiry 
into  this  matter. 

"  I  observed,  in  the  President's  prayers,  such  ex- 
pressions as  these  ;  speaking  of  this  institution, 
4  Thou  thyself  hast  founded  it,  Thou  hast  preserved 
and  supported  it,  when  its  beginnings  were  small, 
and  in  the  opinion  of  many  contemptible,  and  thy 
gentleness  hath  made  it  great.'  There  seems  to  be 
also  too  much  said  in  the  exercises  concerning  its 
enemies  ;  and  the  college  is  constantly  spoken  of  as 
in  a  state  of  victory  over  them,  which  serves  to  keep 
alive  a  spirit  that  I  think  ought  to  be  discouraged. 

44  About  eleven  o'clock,  the  commencement  began 
in  a  large  tent  erected  on  the  east  side  of  the  col- 
lege, and  covered  with  boards  ;  scaffolds  and  seats 
being  prepared. 

"  The  President  began  with  a  prayer  in  the  usual 
strain.  Then  an  English  oration  was  spoken  by  one 
of  the  Bachelors,  complimenting  the  trustees,  kc. 
A  syllogistic  disputation  on  this  question  ;  Amicitia 
vera  non  est  absque  amore  clivina.  Then  a  clio- 
sophic  oration.  Then  an  anthem,  4  The  voice  of  my 
beloved  sounds,'  &c.  Then  a  forensic  dispute  — 
Whether  Christ  died  for  all  men?  which  was  well 
supported  on  both  sides.  Then  an  anthem,  4  Lift 
up  your  heads,  0  ye  gates,'  &c. 


TO  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

"  The  company  were  invited  to  dine  at  the  Pres- 
ident's and  the  hall.  The  Connecticut  lads  and 
lasses.  I  observed,  walked  about  hand  in  hand  in  pro- 
cession, as  ?t  is  said  they  go  to  a  wedding. 

"  Afternoon.  The  exercises  began  vrith  a  Latin 
oration  on  the  state  of  society,  by  Mr.  Ripley. 
Then  an  English  Oration  on  the  imitative  arts,  by 
Mr.  J.  Wheelock.  The  degrees  were  then  conferred ; 
and,  in  addition  to  the  usual  ceremony  of  the  book, 
diplomas  were  delivered  to  the  candidates,  with  this 
form  of  words  :  '  Admitto  vos  ad  primum  (vel  secun- 
dum) gradum  in  artibus  pro  more  Academiarum  in 
Anglia,  vobiscpie  trado  hunc  librum,  una  cum  potes- 
tate  publice  prelegendi  ubicunque  ad  hoc  munus 
avocati  fueritis,  (to  the  masters  was  added,  fuistis 
vel  fueritis)  cujus  rei  hrec  diploma  membrana  scripta 
est  testimonium.'  Mr.  Woodward  stood  by  the 
President,  and  held  the  book  and  parchments,  de- 
livering and  exchanging  them  as  need  required. 
Rev.  Mr.  Benjamin  Pomeroy,  of  Hebron,  was  admit- 
ted to  the  degree  of  Doctor  in  Divinity. 

"  After  this,  MeGregore  and  Swetland,  two 
Bachelors,  spoke  a  dialogue  of  Lord  Lyttleton's  be- 
tween Apicius  and  Darteneuf,  upon  good  eating  and 
drinking.  The  Mercury  (who  comes  in  at  the  close 
of  the  piece)  performed  his  part  but  clumsily  ;  but 
the  two  epicures  did  well,  and  the  President  laughed 
as  heartily  as  the  rest  of  the  audience ;  though,  con- 
sidering the  circumstances,  it  might  admit  of  some 


DARTMOUTH   COLLEGE.  71 

doubt,  whether  the  dialogue  were  really  a  burlesque, 
or  a  compliment  to  the  college. 

"  An  anthem  and  prayer  concluded  the  public 
exercises.  Much  decency  and  regularity  were  ob- 
servable through  the  day,  in  the  numerous  attending 
concourse  of  people. 

"  There  is  a  very  fine  brass  horizontal  dial,  fixed  on 
a  post  in  the  President's  yard  ;  it  was  given  by  Capt. 
Holland  ;  it  cost  ten  guineas.  The  latitude  of  the 
place  is  43°  38'  N. 

"  I  saw  the  hut  where  the  President  first  lived  ; 
it  is  a  log-house,  about  twenty  feet  square,  but  will 
soon  rot,  it  being  built  mostly  of  beech  sticks.  This 
is  called  the  ;  first  sprout  of  the  college.'  The 
scholars  built  huts  round  it  to  live  in.  It  is  really 
surprising  to  observe  the  improvements  that  have 
been  made  in  four  years. 

"  The  college  library  is  kept  at  Mr.  "Woodward's. 
It  is  not  large,  but  there  are  some  very  good  books 
in  it ;  the  seal  is  also  kept  there.  They  have  two 
good  globes  of  eighteen  inches,  and  a  good  solar 
microscope. 

"  Thursday,  August  25th.  The  trustees  were 
upon  business  all  day.  Colonel  Phillips  gave  six 
hundred  pounds  for  Christianizing  the  Indians. 

"  I  attended,  with  several  others,  the  examination 
of  Joseph  Johnson,  an  Indian,  educated  in  this 
school,  who,  with  the  rest  of  the  New  England  In- 
dians, are  about  moving  up  into  the  country  of  the 


72  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

Six  Nations,  where  they  have  a  tract  of  land  fifteen 
miles  square  given  them.  He  appeared  to  be  an 
ingenious,  sensible,  serious  young  man  ;  and  we  gave 
him  an  approbamiis,  of  which  there  is  a  copy  on  the 
next  page.  After  which,  at  three  P.M.  he  preached 
in  the  college  hall,  and  a  collection  of  twenty-seven 
dollars  and  a  half  was  made  for  him.  The  auditors 
were  agreeably  entertained. 

"The  approbamus  is  as  follows  : 

"  These  may  certify  all  whom  it  may  concern, 
that  Joseph  Johnson,  an  Indian  of  the  Mohegan 
tribe,  in  Connecticut,  has  offered  himself  before  us, 
who  were  providentially  together,  for  examination 
as  a  candidate  to  preach  the  Gospel,  with  a  principal 
view  to  the  benefit  of  his  own  nation.  We  have  ex- 
amined him  as  to  his  knowledge  and  understanding 
in  the  doctrines  of  the  Gospel  and  experimental  relig- 
ion, and  other  accomplishments  needful  for  his  use- 
fulness among  his  own  nation,  and  also  the  churches 
in  a  Christian  land,  where  in  Providence  he  may  be 
called  and  have  opportunity  to  preach.  We  are  well 
satisfied  as  to  his  qualifications,  and  heartily  recom- 
mend him  for  said  purpose. 

Lemuel  Hedge,  of  Warwick. 

Jeremy  Belknap,  Dover. 

Josiah  Dana,  Lebanon. 

Willam  Conant,  Lime. 

Silvaxus  Ripley,  Tutor  of  Dartmouth  College. 
"Dartmouth  College,  in  New  Hampshire,  Aug.  25th,  1774." 


RETURNS    HOME.  73 

The  next  morning,  Mr.  Belknap  commenced  the 
journey  home.  The  Sabbath  was  passed  at  Keene, 
where  he  says  : 

"  By  desire  of  Mr.  Jones,  who  is  preaching 
here,  I  preached.  The  congregation  pretty  large 
and  very  attentive.  Two  prisoners  in  chains  attend- 
ed meeting ;  they  are  here  under  confinement  for 
murder. 

"  Mr.  Blake,  at  whose  house  I  kept,  was  taken 
from  here  by  the  Indians,  in  1746  or  7,  and  kept 
two  years.  Much  mischief  has  been  formerly  done 
here  by  them.  It  was  formerly  called  Upper 
Ashuelot. 

"  Wednesday,  August  31st.  Got  home,  and  found 
all  well  there." 

On  the  ride  up,  one  of  his  companions  for  a  time 
was  Colonel  "William  Stark,  brother  to  General  Stark. 
While  riding  through  Romney,  he  narrated  to  Mr. 
Belknap  the  story  of  their  surprise  by  the  Indians, 
when  hunting  there  in  1752,  which  is  detailed  in 
the  Life  of  General  Stark,  in  "  Sparks's  American 
Biography."  On  his  return,  Colonel  Phillips,  of 
Exeter,  was  in  company  with  him,  the  founder  of 
Phillips's  Academy  at  that  place,  and  a  man  of  rare 
benevolence,  which  the  following  incident  will  serve 
to  illustrate. 

In  1776,  when  the  war  troubles  were  severely 
felt  in  Boston,  a  grandson  of  Dr.  Sewall,  who  had 


74  LIFE   OF  DR.    BELKNAP. 

been  maintained  in  Harvard  College  for  three  years 
and  a  half  by  the  charity  of  friends  in  that  city,  was 
left  without  resources  by  the  dispersion  of  his  bene- 
factors, which  rendered  it  impossible  to  collect  their 
subscription  money.  Mr.  Belknap  was  interested 
in  him,  not  only  as  a  worthy  youth,  of  excellent 
abilities,  whom  a  liberal  education  would  render  a 
valuable  member  of  society,  but  also  as  the  grand- 
son of  the  religious  teacher  and  friend  of  his  own 
childhood,  whose  memory  he  fondly  cherished. 
Accordingly,  he  wrote  letters  to  several  clergymen, 
asking  them  to  interest  their  "  wealthy  and  generous 
friends  "  in  the  matter.  One  letter  was  addressed 
to  the  Reverend  Mr.  Rogers,  of  Exeter,  and  occa- 
sioned the  following  correspondence  with  Colonel 
Phillips  : 

"Exeter,  23d  March,  1776. 

"Rev.  Sir, 

"  The  Rev.  Mr.  Rogers  has  made  me  acquainted 
with  the  (even)  necessitous  circumstances  of  a  grand- 
son of  the  venerable  and  truly  pious  Dr.  Sewall,  of 
blessed  memory. 

"  You  are  pleased,  dear  sir,  to  interest  yourself 
in  his  behalf,  and  by  this  mean  I  come  to  share  the 
sacred  pleasure  with  you.  My  love  to  the  good 
doctor  and  his  church,  afflicted  and  scattered 
abroad,  and  of  consequence  less  able  to  afford  relief 
in  this  case,  induces  me  very  eagerly  to  embrace 


CORRESPONDENCE   WITH   COL.    PHILLIPS.        75 

such  an  opportunity  of  expressing  a  most  cordial 
affection  for  one  whom  the  good  people  of  Boston, 
of  that  church  in  particular,  must  wish  well  to  ;  and, 
as  I  trust  it  is  a  service  acceptable  to  God,  how 
happy  am  I,  and  how  thankful  ought  I  to  be  ! 

"  I  now  send  you  fifty  pounds,  hoping,  if  after  the 
frugal  expenditure  thereof,  there  should  be  occasion 
for  more,  you  will  be  pleased  to  give  yourself  the 
trouble  —  no  !  the  pleasure  —  of  letting  me  know 
what  further  sum  would  be  serviceable. 

"  I  am,  with  respect,  yours  affectionately, 
"  John  Phillips." 

Mr.  Belknap  replied  as  follows  : 

"  To  John  Phillips,  Esq.,  Exeter. 

"March  25th,  1776. 

"  Worthy  Sir, 

"  Not  only  the  generous  donation  which  you 
have  been  pleased  to  make  toward  the  education  of 
a  much  esteemed  youth,  but  the  obliging  manner  in 
which  it  is  conveyed,  demands  my  thankful  ac- 
knowledgments to  the  Giver  of  every  good  and 
perfect  gift,  that  he  has  blessed  you  with  such  ability 
and  inclination  to  be  rich  in  good  works.  I  thank 
you  also,  dear  sir,  for  the  honor  you  have  done  me, 
in  passing  it  through  my  hands,  and  that  you  have 
thereby  increased  the  '  sacred  pleasure  '  I  feel,  in 
being  anywise  instrumental  to  promote  the  comfort 
and  usefulness  of  a  descendant  of  that  excellent 
person  whose  memory  you  so  justly  revere.     The 


76  LIFE   OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

assistance  you  have  hereby  afforded  him  is  so  liberal, 
as,  I  imagine,  will  supersede  the  necessity  of  any 
farther  application ;  but  should  that  necessity  appear, 
I  shall  take  the  liberty  you  give  me  of  mentioning  it 
to  you. 

"I  am,  Sir,  with  the  greatest  respect,  your  much 
obliged  and  very  humble  servant,  "  J.  B. 

In  June,  1774,  during  the  excitement  occasioned 
by  the  Boston  Port  Act,  the  town  of  Portsmouth 
chose  a  committee  of  correspondence,  who  sent  a 
circular  letter  to  all  the  towns  of  the  province,  and 
the  form  of  a  covenant,  to  be  signed  by  all  adult 
persons  of  both  sexes,  to  the  end  that  no  more 
goods  might  be  imported  from  Great  Britain.  The 
subsequent  general  agreement  to  that  effect  is  mat- 
ter of  history ;  but  this  was  a  private  and  premature 
attempt,  and  was  looked  upon  by  Mr.  Belknap 
as  highly  improper  and  assuming,  and  he  refused  to 
sign  the  covenant. 

He  said  tyranny  in  one  shape  was  as  odious  as 
tyranny  in  another,  and  that  this  attempt  of  a  few 
unauthorized  individuals  to  impose  their  opinions 
upon  other  people,  under  penalty  of  being  consid- 
ered enemies  of  the  common  safety,  was  as  danger- 
ous in  its  tendency  as  any  acts  of  the  British  Parlia- 
ment it  was  intended  to  oppose,  and  unworthy  the 
descendants  of  men  who  had  fled  to  this  country  to 
avoid  similar  impositions  in  England.     That  it  was 


ADDRESS  TO  THE  PEOPLE  OF  N.  HAMPSHIRE.      77 

very  oppressive  and  unjust  to  the  merchants,  who 
had  ordered  their  goods,  and  would  not  have  time  to 
countermand  them  ;  and  that  it  would  create  hatred 
and  ill  will  in  the  community,  as  those  who  did  not 
sign  the  covenant  would  be  looked  upon  as  enemies 
to  their  fellow-citizens,  merely  because  they  differed 
in  opinion  on  a  point  of  a  political  nature,  which 
ought  not  to  produce  any  such  effect.  That  such  a 
measure  concerned  all  the  colonies ;  and  for  one  or 
two  to  come  forward  without  the  prospect  of  being 
supported  by  the  rest,  was  to  rush  upon  their  own 
ruin.  The  result  of  the  matter  was,  that  the  select- 
men and  committee  of  correspondence  in  Dover  met, 
and  agreed  to  wait  the  decision  of  the  approaching 
Congress  upon  the  subject. 

The  neighboring  provinces  were  not  slow  to  aid 
suffering  Massachusetts,  and  provisions  and  other 
necessaries  were  sent  to  Boston  for  the  poor.  To 
assist  in  promoting  this  work,  Mr.  Belknap  wrote  an 
address  to  the  people  of  New  Hampshire,  on  the 
Boston  Port  Act,  which  shows  that  the  character  of 
that  city  for  benevolence  was  even  then  of  long 
standing.     It  has  since  been  well  sustained. 

"  To  the  inhabitants  of  the  province  of  New  Hamp- 
shire. 

"  Remember  them  that  are  in  bonds  as  bound  with 
them,  and  them  that  suffer  adversity  as  being  your- 
selves also  in  the  body. 


78  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

"My  Dear  Brethren, 

"  Our  late  house  of  Deputies,  which  met  at 
Exeter,  having  recommended  it  to  the  several  towns 
in  this  province  to  consider  the  distressed  situation 
of  our  poor  oppressed  brethren  in  Boston,  who  are 
suffering  the  rigor  of  a  cruel  and  unjust  act  of  par- 
liament which  deprives  them  of  the  means  of  subsist- 
ence for  an  indefinite  time,  and  lend  them  what 
help  we  can  afford  to  support  them  in  their  sufferings ; 
I  beg  leave  to  lay  before  you  some  considerations, 
which  may  serve  to  show  you,  not  how  much  they 
need,  for  that  your  own  humanity  must  inform  you, 
but  how  much  they  deserve  your  assistance. 

"  The  people  of  that  town  and  colony  have  ever 
been  remarkable  for  their  humanity  and  generosity 
to  the  distressed.  Their  bounty  has  been  extended 
to  Jamaica,  Nevis,  Carolina,  and  other  places  which 
have  suffered  by  fires,  hurricanes,  earthquakes,  and 
other  calamities  ;  yea,  London  itself  has  experienced 
their  kindness,  when,  by  the  fire  in  1666,  great  num- 
bers there  were  reduced  to  poverty. 

"  To  their  tender  and  benevolent  hand  this  pro- 
vince  in  particular  is  greatly  indebted,  if  not  for  its 
existence,  yet  certainly  for  its  protection  and  sup- 
port, both  in  matters  of  civil  government,  and  in  the 
furious  Indian  wars  during  those  forty  years  we 
were  united  to  that  colony.  The  settlement  here 
must  have  been  broken  up,  had  we  been  left  to  stand 
alone,  vexed  as  we  were  by  intestine  divisions  and 


ADDRESS  TO  THE  PEOPLE  OF  N.  HAMPSHIRE.      79 

the  want  of  an  orderly  government,  laboring  under 
poverty,  and  attacked  by  a  savage  enemy,  whose 
tender  mercies  were  cruelty.  The  sense  of  their 
kindness  was  most  gratefully  expressed  in  a  letter 
written  by  President  Cutts  and  his  council,  in  1680, 
to  that  colony,  upon  the  separation  which  then  took 
place  by  the  king's  authority.  And  since  that  time, 
every  one  that  is  acquainted  with  the  state  of  this 
province  knows,  that  it  owes  much  of  its  importance 
to  the  neighborhood  of  the  Massachusetts  govern- 
ment. 

"  Though  the  people  of  Boston  have  themselves 
suffered  greatly  by  fires,  and  by  the  frequent  spread- 
ing of  the  small  pox  among  them,  yet  they  have 
always  been  at  a  prodigious  expense  in  supporting 
the  poor,  most  of  whom  are  not  natives  of  the  place, 
but  strangers  who  have  fallen  in  among  them.  For 
several  years  past,  as  I  have  it  from  the  best  au- 
thority, their  annual  poor's  bill  has  amounted  to 
about  two  thousand  pounds  sterling  ;  besides  which, 
there  is  a  voluntary  quarterly  contribution  for  the 
poor  at  a  public  evening  lecture  in  Faneuil  Hall. 

"  Distressed  persons  of  all  sorts  have  ever  found 
Boston  the  best  place  to  go  to  for  relief  and  assist- 
ance. Prisoners  of  war  have  found  there  the  kind- 
est treatment,  and  returned  captives  have  been 
received  with  the  tenderest  commiseration.  Mr. 
Williams,  of  Deerfield,  in  the  narrative  of  his  cap- 
tivity, bears  them  this  testimony  :  "  The  charity  of 


80  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKXAP. 

the  whole  country  of  Canada,  though  moved  with 
the  doctrine  of  merits,  does  not  come  up  to  the 
charity  of  Boston  alone,  where  notions  of  merit  are 
rejected." 

"  Xow  shall  such  a  people  as  this  suffer  unpitied, 
unassisted  ?  He  who  hath  established  this  rule, 
4  The  liberal  deviseth  liberal  things,  and  by  liberal 
things  shall  he  stand,'  has  disposed  the  hearts  of 
our  brethren  in  the  southern  colonies  to  contribute 
handsomely  already  :  and,  when  the  crops  come  in, 
we  expect  they  will  do  much  more.  And  shall 
not  we,  though  our  ability  is  but  small  in  propor- 
tion to  theirs,  do  what  we  can  to  enable  our  breth- 
ren who  are  foremost  in  the  conflict,  to  maintain  the 
cause  in  which  they  are  engaged  by  a  firm  and 
manly  perseverance  ?  Will  not  such  communications 
of  charity  strengthen  the  bonds  of  society,  and  endear 
us  to  each  other  ?  And  when  a  firm  union  is  thus 
cemented,  happy  in  our  mutual  affection,  in  the 
increased  cultivation  of  our  lands,  in  our  frugality 
and  economy,  we  shall  securely  bid  defiance  to  all 
the  enemies  of  our  peace,  and  leave  this  land  of 
liberty  a  sacred  legacy  to  our  posterity. 

1  Terra  potens  armis,  atque  ubere  glebae/ 

"  Amicus  Patriae." 

The  conclusion  of  the  above  piece  shows  the 
writer  to  have  been  a  true  '  son  of  liberty.'  It  was 
published  in  the  Xew  Hampshire  Gazette,  and  was 


BRITISH   TROOPS   IN   BOSTON.  81 

followed  by  a  notification  to  convene  in  town  meeting, 
to  grant  relief  to  the  poor  in  Boston.  At  the  time 
of  its  publication,  the  town-clerk  of  Boston  was  in 
Dover ;  and  the  governor,  in  one  of  his  letters  to 
Lord  Dartmouth  on  the  state  of  the  province,  attrib- 
uted it  to  him  as  being  a  zealous  leader  of  the  popu- 
lar opposition.  The  letter  forms  No.  23  of  the 
appendix  to  the  History  of  New  Hampshire,  and  the 
mistake  is  corrected  in  a  note  at  the  bottom  of  the 
page,  which  is  as  follows  : 

"  The  publication  here  referred  to  was  written 
by  a  person  whom  the  governor  did  not  suspect,  and 
the  town-clerk  knew  nothing  of  it."  Appendix,  No. 
30,  gives  the  address  itself,  but  with  no  hint  as  to 
the  authorship  ;  and  were  it  not  for  the  imperfect 
manuscript  remaining  among  Mr.  Belknap's  papers, 
the  writer  would  still  be  unknown. 

Governor  Gage  had,  at  this  time,  a  large  body  of 
troops  in  Boston,  to  the  great  annoyance  of  the  in- 
habitants ;  and  more  were  arriving  as  the  crisis  of 
the  controversy  between  the  mother  country  and  the 
colonies  approached.  In  September,  Mr.  Belknap 
wrote  an  address  to  the  officers,  calculated  to  make 
them  very  much  ashamed  of  their  position.  It  was 
intended  for  the  Massachusetts  Spy ;  where,  how- 
ever, it  did  not  appear.  Whether  it  was  printed 
elsewhere,  is  not  known. 


82  LIFE   OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

"  To  the  Gentlemen  of  the  Army,  now  encamped 
on  Boston  Common. 

"September,  1774. 
"Every  one  who  understands  the  importance 
of  your  profession  knows  it  to  be  noble,  generous,  and 
humane  ;  noble,  as  it  is  influenced  by  the  love  of 
glory  ;  generous,  as  it  disdains  the  low  arts  by  which 
superiority  may  be  often  gained  ;  and  humane,  as  it 
seeks  the  welfare  of  mankind.  You  are  justly  en- 
titled the  guardians  of  the  state,  as  the  design  of 
your  equipment  is  to  defend  from  every  hostile 
attack  that  system  of  virtuous  liberty  which  is  but 
another  name  for  the  British  constitution.  Your 
valor  and  prudence  have  been  signalized  in  the 
greatest  dangers,  and  you  were  in  the  road  to  honor 
and  preferment. 

"  But,  gentlemen,  I  pity  you,  —  what  have  you 
done  to  deserve  such  disgrace  ?  You  are  sent  over 
into  America  for  the  meanest  and  basest  purposes  ; 
to  terrify  the  wretched  inhabitants  of  this  oppressed 
town  with  the  apprehension  of  being  murdered  in 
the  streets  in  some  insignificant  night-brawl ;  and  to 
check  that  noble  spirit  which  once  animated  their 
predecessors  to  brave  every  danger,  to  secure  liberty 
and  peace  to  their  posterity,  and  which  still  breathes 
in  our  present  exertions  to  the  same  worthy  and  vir- 
tuous purposes. 

"  Were  you  employed  like  the  victorious  troops 
under  the  late  illustrious  Duke  of  Cumberland,  to 


HIS    ADDRESS    TO    BRITISH    OFFICERS.  83 

suppress  a  rebellion  excited  by  the  avowed  enemies 
of  the  British  crown,  —  had  you  any  prospect  of 
meeting  an  armed  foe  in  the  field  of  battle,  and  there 
giving  proof  of  your  superior  skill  and  courage, 
your  breasts  would  glow  with  martial  ardor,  and  you 
would  have  something  in  view,  worthy  the  dignity 
and  design  of  your  noble  profession.  But,  gentle- 
men, you  must  be  ashamed  when  you  consider  that 
the  noblest  purpose  for  which  you  can  be  here  em- 
ployed, though  you  are  ever  so  successful,  will  not 
raise  your  characters  above  the  rank  of  a  constable 
or  a  watchman  ;  you  will  have  nobody  to  encounter, 
unless  some  hairbrained  rioters  should  disturb  the 
silence  of  the  night  with  their  senseless  vociferations, 
and  amuse  themselves  with  the  rattling  of  broken  win- 
dows. The  highest  manoeuvres  in  which  you  can  then 
engage  will  be  street  firings,  and  the  fiercest  oppo- 
sition you  can  expect  will  be  the  throwing  of  brick- 
bats, in  which  exercise  the  despicable  chimney- 
sweeper, perched  on  the  top  of  his  fuliginous  pinnacle, 
will  have  a  manifest  advantage  over  you. 

"  Should  you  be  called  to  an  honorable  engage- 
ment with  an  equal  or  superior  number  of  troops, 
disciplined  like  yourselves,  and  any  of  you  be  slain 
in  the  battle,  your  names  would  be  enrolled  in  the 
annals  of  fame,  like  the  immortal  heroes  of  Mara- 
thon, or  the  noble  victims  on  the  plains  of  Abraham  ; 
the  glowing  canvass  would  exhibit,  and  the  immortal 
bard  sing,  your  deathless  actions  to  future  genera- 


84  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

tions.  But,  alas  !  gentlemen,  though  there  be  even 
a  Miltiades  or  a  Wolfe  among  you,  the  only 
honor  you  can  derive  from  falling  in  the  service  on 
"which  you  are  now  sent,  will  be  to  have  it  said  that 
you  were  trampled  in  a  gutter,  or  scalded  with  hot 
water  from  the  ladle  of  some  American  Amazon, 
who  may  be  celebrated  in  a  two-penny  ballad,  long 
after  your  names  are  forgot. 

"  Such  being  the  disgraceful  service  on  which 
you  are  sent,  it  will  not  be  strange  if  your  mag- 
nanimous breasts  glow  with  resentment  at  your  base 
employers,  and  burst  in  vengeance  upon  them 
whenever  you  have  an  opportunity  to  do  yourselves 
justice. 

"  For  ourselves,  we  fear  not  their  utmost  malice  ; 
trusting  in  the  goodness  of  our  cause,  and  depending 
that  gentlemen  of  true  valor  and  generosity  will 
scorn  to  degrade  their  characters  so  far  as  to  be- 
come instruments  of  oppression,  and  lavish  those 
lives,  in  enslaving  their  fellow-subjects,  which  are 
too  precious  to  be  sacrificed  but  for  the  love  of 
their  country,  and  the  preservation  of  its  dearest 
interests." 

The  following  extract  from  Hume,  and  Mr.  Bel- 
knap's observations  upon  it,  give  his  view  of  the  ques- 
tions at  this  time  agitating  all  minds,  and  rapidly 
bringing  on  the  revolution. 

"  Mr.  Hume,  after  giving  some  account  of  King 


THE    REVOLUTION.  85 

Charles's  principles  of  government  (vol.  5,  p.  204), 
says, — '  That  these  principles  were  derived  from  the 
uniform  tenor  of  the  English  laws,  it  would  be  rash 
to  affirm.  The  fluctuating  nature  of  the  constitu- 
tion, the  impatient  humor  of  the  people,  and  the 
variety  of  events,  had,  no  doubt,  in  different 
ages  produced  many  exceptions  and  contradictions. 
These  observations  alone  may  be  established  on  both 
sides,  that  the  appearances  were  sufficiently  strong 
in  favor  of  the  king,  to  apologize  for  his  following 
such  maxims,  and  that  public  liberty  must  be  so 
precarious  under  this  exorbitant  prerogative,  as  to 
render  an  opposition  not  only  excusable  but  laudable 
in  the  people.' 

"  Much  the  same  is  the  case  in  the  controversy 
between  Great  Britain  and  the  colonies  concerning 
the  right  of  taxation.  There  are  precedents  on  both 
sides,  and  nothing  explicit  was  ever  so  determined, 
as  that  both  sides  acquiesced,  but  different  senti- 
ments and  practices  have  prevailed  at  different  times. 
It  is  pleaded  by  the  defenders  of  the  present  reve- 
nue laws,  '  that  in  every  state  there  must  be  a 
supreme  power  somewhere  ;  and,  in  the  empire  of 
Great  Britain,  what  power  can  claim  or  exercise 
supremacy,  but  the  parliament  ?  However  easily 
we  might  have  allowed  this  sentiment  at  a  time 
when  the  parliament  were  actually  engaged  in  secur- 
ing or  defending  the  general  interest  of  the  empire 
against  foreign  violence,  yet  our  complaisance  can- 


86  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

not  lead  us  to  subscribe  to  it  when  we  see  this  power 
becoming  a  party  in  a  quarrel  between  one  part  of 
the  empire  and  another.  '  Tis  but  begging  the 
question  to  urge  this  in  the  dispute. 

"  If  the  principles  that  brought  on  the  revolution, 
and  established  the  house  of  Hanover  on  the  throne, 
are  just,  then  the  supreme  power  of  government  lies 
in  the  people  ;  consequently  the  people  of  America 
have  a  right  to  say  who  shall  or  who  shall  not  gov- 
ern them  ;  and  if  they  say  that  the  parliament  of 
Great  Britain  shall  not  govern  them,  then  the  claim 
exercised  by  the  parliament  is  null  and  void.  And 
though,  as  in  the  case  of  Charles,  above  mentioned, 
appearances  arising  from  some  former  precedents 
when  the  constitution  was  less  understood,  and  not 
precisely  defined,  may  be  sufficiently  strong  in  favor 
of  the  parliament  to  apologize  for  their  making  such 
a  claim,  yet  our  public  liberty  is  so  precarious  under 
this  exorbitant  prerogative,  that  opposition  in  us 
' is  not  only  excusable,  but  laudable.'" 

Concerning  the  order  passed  by  the  king  in 
council,  prohibiting  the  exportation  of  gunpowder 
and  warlike  stores  to  America,  Mr.  Belknap  re- 
marks : 

"  Luxury  and  effeminacy  have  always  been  found 
the  surest  means  to  corrupt  and  enslave  a  people, 
while  frugality  and  hardiness  have  always  been 
favorable  to  liberty.  Our  taskmasters,  it  seems,  are 
trying  to  reverse  this,  —  they  are  shutting  up  our 


EXTRACTS  FROM  HIS  COMMONPLACE  BOOK.       87 

ports  and  ruining  our  trade,  thereby  stopping  the 
sources  of  wealth,  and  consequently  of  luxury  and 
effeminacy,  and  driving  us  into  measures  of  frugality, 
economy,  industry,  and  invention  (for  necessity  is 
the  mother  of  invention),  and  all  this  with  a  view 
of  enslaving  us.  Admirable  politicians  !  If  the 
event  proves  contrary  to  their  expectations,  they 
will-  have  high  reason  to  compliment  their  own 
sagacity  !  May  the  councils  of  these  Achitofels  be 
turned  into  foolishness  !  " 

The  above  is  taken  from  a  commonplace  book, 
containing  notices  of  events  occurring  in  1774, 
and  some  years  after,  from  which  the  following 
extracts  may  be  interesting,  as  illustrating  what  is 
already  publicly  known. 

The  feelings  of  the  people,  in  the  spring  of  1775, 
varied  with  the  varying  news  from  England ;  and 
the  proposal  of  Lord  North,  which  was  carried  in 
parliament,  that  if  any  colony,  by  their  Governor, 
Council,  and  Assembly,  would  engage  to  make  pro- 
vision for  the  support  of  civil  government,  and  the 
defence,  &c,  the  tax  acts  should  be  suspended  with 
regard  to  them,  but  the  troops  to  remain,  and  the 
refractory  colonies  to  be  punished, —  this  was  called 
joyful  news;  "but/'  says  Mr.  Belknap,  "for  my 
part,  I  conceive  it  is  nothing  but  a  bait  thrown  out 
to  divide  us,  and  make  us  desert  the  Massachusetts 
government,  who  cannot  comply  with  the  proposal, 


88  LIFE    OF   DR.    HELENA?. 

without  submitting  to  the  alteration  of  their  govern- 
ment, and  acting  with  their  new  council." 

This  state  of  suspense  did  not  long  continue  ;  the 
battle  of  Lexington  putting  an  end  to  all  conciliatory 
measures. 

The  tories  in  Boston  had  constantly  assured  Gen- 
eral Gage,  that  the  country  people  would  never  dare 
to  face  his  troops,  and  he  had  been  blamed  in  par- 
liament for  doins:  nothing. 

On  the  ISth  of  April,  he  issued  writs  for  calling 
an  assembly,  to  see  if  the  people  would  join  with  the 
governor  and  council,  in  complying  with  the  terms 
of  Lord  North's  proposal :  it  was  to  meet  on  the  31st, 
and  he  was  persuaded  to  believe,  that  if  he  should 
strike  a  bold  stroke,  and  destroy  the  magazine  at 
Concord,  it  would  so  intimidate  the  people  and  unfit 
them  for  defence,  that  they  would  easily  be  induced 
to  accept  the  terms.  "  The  ill  success  of  the  expe- 
dition fully  demonstrated  the  falsehood  of  what  he 
had  been  made  to  believe,  and  effectually  taught 
him  that  this  people  were  not  to  be  so  easily  frighted 
as  he  imagined/' 

The  tidings  of  the  breakin^-out  of  hostilities 
reached  Mr.  Belknap,  when  he  was  at  the  ferry, 
midway  between  Dover  and  Portsmouth ;  and  he 
went  directly  to  Boston,  to  provide  for  the  safety 
of  his  parents,  leaving  the  following  note  for  his 
wife : 


LETTERS    TO    HIS    WIFE.  89 

At  Mr.  Knight's,  9  H°- 

"My  Dear, 

"  Before  you  receive  this,  you  "will  hear  the 
awful  news  by  the  Express  I  met  just  now  at  the 
ferry,  of  the  devastation  the  troops  have  made  at 
Concord,  and  the  commencement  of  a  civil  war  ; 
which  makes  it  absolutely  necessary  that  I  should 
proceed  immediately  to  Boston  (if  it  is  not  in  ashes 
before  I  get  there).  I  shall  try  to  get  a  chaise  at 
Greenland.  As  necessity  has  no  laws,  the  people 
must  excuse  my  absence  next  Sabbath,  if  I  should 
not  return  before  it. 

"  Your  affectionate  husband, 

"J.  B. 
"  N.B.  The  Dragoons  have  arrived  at  Boston." 

From  Cambridge  he  wrote  again  as  follows  : 

u  Cambridge,  Lord's  Day  morning,  April  23,  1775. 

"  My  Dear, 

"  I  am  arrived  here,  but  cannot  hear  any 
news  of  my  parents  since  this  day  week,  when  they 
were  in  Boston,  where  I  suppose  they  are  now,  and 
must  partake  of  the  fate  of  the  place.  I  think  it 
best,  and  am  advised  by  Dr.  Langdon,  to  tarry  in 
some  of  the  neighboring  towns  a  few  days  longer  to 
see  whether  any  way  is  opened  for  their  escape.  It 
is  talked  that  an  assault  will  be  made  upon  the  en- 
trenchments at  the  Neck,  by  pressing  large  bundles 


90  LIFE  OF  DR.    BELKNAP. 

of  wet-screwed  hay  forward  to  shelter  our  men  from 
the  cannon-balls.  Dr.  Warren,  who  is  one  of  the 
Committee  of  Safety,  told  me  the  town  must  be 
cleared,  and  would  be  soon.  General  Gage  has 
made  such  a  proposal  to  the  Bostonians  as  the  Ro- 
mans to  the  Carthaginians,  that  if  they  would  deliver 
up  their  arms  they  should  be  safe.  But  they  wrere 
not  such  fools  as  to  comply.     *     *     *     * 

"  The  army  here  is  pretty  well  regulated.  *  *  * 
Don't  let  my  gun  and  ammunition  get  out  of  the 
house,  if  you  can  help  it.    *    *    The  posts  are  stopt, 
and  the  mails  opened  by  the  Committee  of  War  sit- 
ting here,  so  'tis  in  vain  to  write  by  post. 

"  Don 't  be  frighted  at  my  situation,  for  well  am  I 
guarded  by  at  least  ten  thousand  men.  There  are 
here  more  men  than  they  want.  You  will  doubtless 
have  many  false  alarms.  The  tories  have  given  out 
that  they  would  keep  us  in  alarm  all  about  the  coun- 
try, to  divert  and  distract  us.  I  have  been  in  two 
already  ;  one  at  Newbury,  and  another  at  Maiden. 
Couriers  are  established  between  here  and  Newbury ; 
it  would  be  well  if  our  people  took  some  care  of  that 
kind. 

"  I  add  no  more,  but  that  all  our  trust  and  confi- 
dence must  be  in  God,  and  not  in  an  arm  of  flesh. 
"  Tours  affectionately, 

"J.  B." 


DEATH    OF   HIS   MOTHER.  91 

He  remained  at  Cambridge  several  days,  finding 
communication  with  the  town  difficult.  The  removal 
of  his  parents  was  finally  accomplished,  and  they 
went  to  Dover,  where  they  passed  the  remainder  of 
their  lives.  His  mother,  whose  domestic  qualities 
and  kindly  affectionate  character  won  the  regard  of 
all  who  knew  her,  died  in  1784  ;  her  death  was  re- 
corded by  Mr.  Belknap,  in  the  Almanac  for  that 
year,  in  these  words  : 

"  Oct.  12th.  My  mother  died  this  morning,  as 
the  sun  was  rising,  aged  69." 

His  pious  and  much  honored  father  died  the  30th 
August,  1797,  aged  81.  They  are  buried  near 
each  other,  in  the  town  burial  ground  on  Pine  Hill, 
Dover. 

In  July,  Mr.  Belknap  was  chosen  by  the  commit- 
tee of  safety  of  New  Hampshire,  chaplain  to  their 
troops  at  Cambridge ;  a  service  upon  which  he  de- 
clined entering,  but  expressed  his  willingness  to  do 
his  part  towards  supplying  the  army  by  preaching 
in  turn  with  the  other  clergymen  of  the  province, 
if  such  a  plan  should  be  adopted.  The  care  of  his 
people,  his  family,  and  his  own  precarious  health, 
united  in  obliging  him  to  decline  the  honor  of  a  per- 
manent residence  there  in  that  character. 

In  October  he  visited  the  camp  at  Cambridge. 
The  following  extracts  are  from  a  journal  of  occur- 
rences and  observations  during  his  stay : 


92  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKXAP. 

"  Oct.  19th.  It  being  foul  weather,  I  was  hin- 
dered from  taking  a  view  of  the  lines  ;  visited  sev- 
eral friends,  and  rode  to  Roxbury  ;  lodged  at  Mr. 
Robert  Pierpoint's,  where  General  Ward  resides.  In 
conversation  with  Mr.  Joshua  Ward,  aid-de-camp 
to  the  General,  I  found  that  the  plan  of  indejjen- 
dence  was  become  a  favorite  point  in  the  army,  and 
that  it  was  offensive  to  pray  for  the  king  ;  that  the 
Continental  Congress  had  prepared  a  league  offen- 
sive and  defensive  between  the  several  colonies, 
wThich  was  to  take  place  if  the  king  should  reject 
the  continental  petition.  In  this  league  it  is  stipu- 
lated that  each  colony  shall  have  such  a  form  of 
government  as  they  shall  choose,  and  that  an  annual 
Congress  of  the  whole  continent  shall  assemble  by 
turns  in  each  colony,  so  that  they  may  be  the  better 
acquainted  with  one  another,  and  the  people  with 
them. 

"  Oct.  20th.  By  desire  of  Mr.  Mansfield,  the  chap- 
lain, I  prayed  with  General  Thomas's  regiment, 
quartered  at  Roxbury,  and  afterward  visited  the 
lines  in  company  with  an  officer  of  the  picquet  guard. 
Nothing  struck  me  with  more  horror,  than  the  pres- 
ent condition  of  Roxbury  :  that  once  busy,  crowded 
street  is  now  occupied  only  by  a  picquet  guard.  The 
houses  are  deserted,  the  windows  taken  out,  and 
many  shot-holes  visible  ;  some  have  been  burnt,  and 
others  pulled  down,  to  make  room  for  the  fortifica- 
tions.   A  wall  of  earth  is  carried  across  the  street  to 


EXTRACTS    FROM    HIS    JOURNAL.  93 

Williams'  old  house,  where  there  is  a  formidable 
fort  mounted  with  cannon.  The  lower  line  is  just 
below  where  the  George  Tavern  stood  ;  a  row  of 
trees,  root  and  branch,  lies  across  the  road  there,  and 
the  breastwork  extends  to  Lamb's  Dam,  which  makes 
a  part  thereof.  I  went  round  the  whole,  and  was 
so  near  the  enemy  as  to  see  them  (though  it  was 
foggy  and  rainy)  relieve  their  sentries,  which  they 
do  every  hour.  Their  outmost  sentries  are  posted 
at  the  chimneys  of  Brown's  house. 

"  After  dining  with  General  Ward,  I  returned 
to  Cambridge  ;  in  the  evening,  visited  and  con- 
versed with  General  Putnam.  Ward  appears  to  be 
a  calm,  cool,  thoughtful  man ;  Putnam,  a  rough,  fiery 
genius. 

"  In  conversation  with  Mr.  Ward  at  Roxbury,  I 
learned  that  the  reason  of  our  throwing  up  the  in- 
trenchment  at  Charlestown,  on  the  night  of  the  16th 
June,  was,  that  there  had  been  intelligence  received, 
such  as  could  be  depended  on,  that  the  regulars 
had  determined  to  make  a  push  for  Cambridge  after 
the  arrival  of  their  three  generals  and  reinforce- 
ments, who  landed  a  few  days  before.  That  Dr. 
Warren  was  the  last  man  in  the  trenches  after  they 
were  forced,  and  died  on  the  breastwork,  with  his 
sword  in  his  hand.  That  his  body  was  stripped 
naked,  and  buried  so ;  his  coat  was  sold  in  Boston 
by  a  soldier  for  eight  dollars.  His  body  was  dug 
up  several  times,  and  buried  again,  to  gratify  the 


9-i  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

curiosity  of  those  who  came  to  see  it.  That  divers 
persons  were  permitted  to  go  from  Boston  over  to 
Chariest  own  to  view  the  field  of  battle. 

"  Oct.  21st.  Detained  at  Cambridge  all  day  by 
the  rain.  Met  General  Sullivan,  who  told  me  he 
was  ordered  to  Portsmouth  on  the  report  of  the  de- 
struction of  Falmouth,  and  that  General  Lee  was 
ordered  to  Rhode  Island,  to  defend  them.  Dined, 
by  invitation,  with  Mr.  Mifflin,  Quarter-master-Gen- 
eral.  The  company  present  were  Dr.  Franklin, 
Mr.  Lynch,  of  Carolina,  and  Colonel  Harrison,  of 
Virginia  (a  committee  from  the  Congress,  to  settle 
a  plan  with  the  generals  for  a  new  army,  to  be  kept 
up  till  December,  1776)  ;  General  Lee,  Adjutant- 
General  Gates,  Colonel  Reed  and  Mr.  Baylor,  aid- 
de-camps  to  General  Washington,  Lieutenant-Gover- 
nor Griswold,  and  Judge  Wells  of  Connecticut,  and 
Mr.  Leonard,  chaplain. 

u  General  Lee  is  a  perfect  original,  a  good 
scholar  and  soldier,  and  an  odd  genius,  full  of  fire 
and  passion,  and  but  little  good  manners  ;  a  great 
sloven,  wretchedly  profane,  and  a  great  admirer  of 
dogs,  of  which  he  had  two  at  dinner  with  him,  one 
of  them  a  native  of  Pomerania,  which  I  should  have 
taken  for  a  bear,  had  I  seen  him  in  the  woods.  A 
letter  which  he  wrote  General  Putnam  yesterday, 
is  a  copy  of  his  odd  mind.  It  is,  as  nearly  as  I  can 
recollect,  as  follows,  being  a  letter  of  introduction  of 
one  Page,  a  church  clergyman  : 


GENERAL    LEE.  95 

M  Hobgoblin  Hall  October  19th.  1775. 

"Dear  General, 

"  Mr.  Page,  the  bearer  of  this,  is  a  Mr.  Page. 
He  has  the  laudable  ambition  of  seeing  the  great 
General  Putnam.  I  therefore  desire  you  would 
array  yourself  in  all  your  majesty  and  terrors,  for 
his  reception.  Tour  blue  and  gold  must  be  mount- 
ed, your  pistols  stuck  in  your  girdle,  and  it  would 
not  be  amiss  if  you  should  black  one  half  of  your 
face. 

"  I  am,  dear  General,  with  fear  and  trembling, 
Your  humble  servant, 

"  Charles  Lee." 

The  following  account  of  the  death  of  this  eccen- 
tric general,  in  Philadelphia,  Oct.  2d,  1782,  was 
communicated  to  Mr.  Belknap,  by.  Dr.  Clarkson  of 
that  city  : 

"  General  Lee  died  in  the  second  story  of  a  tav- 
ern, after  a  few  days'  illness,  in  some  degree  his  own 
physician,  and  but  badly  attended,  except  by  two 
faithful  dogs,  who  frequently  attempted  in  vain  to 
awaken  their  dead  master.  They  laid  themselves 
down  by  his  corpse  for  a  considerable  time  ;  so  long, 
that  it  became  necessary  for  new  masters  to  remove 
them.  He  lies  buried  in  Christ's  Church  Yard  : 
no  stone  marks  his  bed.  Indeed  those  who  saw  his 
open  grave  can  scarcely  show  the  site,  as  it  is  con- 


96  LIFE   OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

tinually  trodden  by  persons  going  into  and  coming 
out  of  church.     Behold  the  honor  of  the  great !  " 

"  This  Page  is  suspected  by  some  to  be  a  spy,  as 
he  has  a  plan  of  the  lines,  and  is  bound  to  England. 
At  table,  the  chief  talk  was  about  the  best  men  for 
soldiers.  General  Lee  said  the  Portuguese  had  the 
best  materials  for  soldiers,  if  they  were  well  disci- 
plined ;  but  that  the  Turks  of  Asia  Minor  were  the 
stoutest  men  in  the  world.  Adjutant-General  Gates, 
who  is  an  experienced  officer,  said  he  never  desired 
to  see  better  soldiers  than  the  New  England  men 
made.  All  joined  in  execrating  the  Irish.  Many 
of  the  riflemen  are  of  this  nation,  who  are  continu- 
ally deserting  to  the  enemy,  lynch,  Harrison, 
and  Wells,  wished  to  see  Boston  in  flames.  Lee 
told  them  it  was  impossible  to  burn  it,  unless  they 
sent  men  in  with  bundles  of  straw  at  their  backs  to 
do  it.  He  said  it  could  not  be  done  with  carcases 
and  hot  shot ;  and  instanced  in  Isle  Royal,  in  St. 
Lawrence  River,  which  was  fired  at  in  1760,  a  long 
time  with  a  fine  train  of  artillery,  hot  shot,  and  car- 
cases, without  effect. 

"  General  Washington  was  to  have  been  at  this 
dinner  ;  but  the  weather  prevented.  He  is  said  to 
be  a  very  amiable  gentleman  ;  cool,  sensible,  and 
placid,  and  a  resolute  soldier.  I  had  no  opportunity 
to  see  him. 

"  Oct.  22d.  Preached  all  day  in  the  meeting-house ; 
after  meeting,  I  was  again  told  by  the  chaplain  that 


EXTRACTS    FROM   IIIS   JOURNAL.  ffj 

it  was  disagreeable  to  the  generals  to  pray  for  the 
king,  I  answered,  that  the  same  authority  which 
appointed  the  generals  had  ordered  the  king  to  be 
prayed  for  at  the  late  Continental  fast ;  and,  till  that 
was  revoked,  I  should  think  it  my  duty  to  do  it. 
Dr.  Appleton  prayed  in  the  afternoon,  and  mention- 
ed the  king  with  much  affection.  It  is  too  assuming 
in  the  generals  to  find  fault  with  it. 

"  Oct.  23d.  Mr.  Mifflin  assured  me,  there  was 
no  design  to  make  an  assault  upon  Boston  very  soon, 
and  that  it  would  not  be  done  unless  it  was  found 
that  nothing  else  could  be  done.  Flat-bottomed 
boats  are  preparing,  which  will  carry  sixty  or  sev- 
enty men  at  once.  Barracks  are  also  building  for 
the  army's  winter  quarters.  The  army  is  healthy, 
and  well  supplied.  I  visited  the  works  at  Prospect 
Hill.  The  weather  being  hazy,  I  had  not  so  good  a 
view  as  I  should  wish  ;  but  I  could  see  the  enemy's 
lines  and  buildings  at  Bunker  Hill,  and  the  desola- 
tion at  Charlestown.  Visited  also  the  works  at 
Plowed  Hill  and  Winter  Hill,  and  set  out  on  my  re- 
turn ;  at  night  got  to  Haverhill,  where  the  rains  had 
caused  a  great  flood,  in  Merrimac  river  ;  vast  quan- 
tities of  wood  floated  down,  which  was  eagerly  seized 
by  the  people  along  shore. 

"  Oct.  24th.  Got  home,  and  found  the  town  full  of 
Portsmouth   people,   who   have    been   moving,  with 
their  effects,  ever  since  the  destruction  of  Falmouth, 
apprehending  the  same  fate." 
7 


98  LIFE    OF   DR.    EELKNAP. 

The  uncle  of  Mrs.  Belknap,  Doctor  Andrew 
Eliot,  pastor  of  the  New  North  Church  in  Boston, 
sending  his  wife  and  daughters  to  Fairfield,  where 
one  of  his  sons  was  settled,  remained  in  Boston 
himself  through  the  siege,  from  a  sense  of  duty  to 
his  people.  Some  extracts  from  his  letters  to  Mr. 
Belknap,  during  this  period,  afford  an  interesting 
example  of  the  steadfast  faith  and  fervent  piety 
which  made  the  oppressed  strong  against  the  tyrants 
so  vastly  superior  to  them  in  wealth  and  power. 
The  son  here  mentioned  was  the  Rev.  John  Eliot, 
who,  obliged  to  leave  college  on  account  of  the  dis- 
turbances, had  gone  to  Dover  to  keep  school,  and 
was  living  with  Mr.  Belknap. 

"  Boston,  June  5th,  1775. 

"Dear  Sir, 

"  I  just  received  a  letter  from  my  son, 
wherein  he  informs  me  of  your  very  great  kindness 
to  him.  It  gave  me  unspeakable  pleasure  to  find 
you  had  not  forgotten  him,  as  from  some  circum- 
stances I  thought  you  had  ;  but  I  freely  own,  I 
ought  not  to  have  entertained  the  least  suspicion  of 
one  of  whose  benevolence  I  had  so  much  experience, 
both  to  me  and  mine  ;  but  what  gave  me  the  greatest 
pleasure  was,  that  he  would  have  your  advice,  direc- 
tion, and  assistance,  at  a  time  when  he  greatly 
needs  it,  and  is  deprived  of  the  help  of  his  father. 
You  will  advise  him  *  *  *   *  In  short,  my  dear  sir, 


LETTERS    FROM    DR.    ANDREW   ELIOT.  9(J 

you  must  be  a  father  to  him,  and  do  with  him  as  if 
he  were  your  own  son.  I  commit  him  to  God  and 
to  you.  Whether  I  shall  ever  have  it  in  my  power 
to  make  you  amends  is  uncertain ;  at  present,  I  am 
in  a  melancholy  situation,  and  yet  dare  not  leave  it. 
I  have  a  larger  congregation  than  when  I  had  only 
my  own  people  ;  and  how  can  I  go  away,  and  leave 
them  without  ordinances  ?  My  heart  recoils  at  the 
thought ;  and  yet  to  tarry  here  long,  will  overwhelm 
me.  I  desire  to  do  that  which  will  be  most  agree- 
able to  the  will  of  God.  Let  me  have  your  prayers  : 
I  doubt  not  your  tender  sympathy.  I  have  very 
comfortable  news  from  my  son  at  Fairfield.  *  *  * 
You  see  I  have  my  mercies  amidst  all  my  trials, 
and  I  esteem  it  no  small  favor  that  John  will  be 
with  you.  Blessed  be  God,  I  can  leave  myself  and 
mine  with  him.  What  will  be  the  end  of  these  diffi- 
culties between  Great  Britain  and  the  colonies,  God 
only  knows.  It  is  a  dark  day  we  live  in  ;  but  Infi- 
nite Wisdom  directs  all.  I  doubt  not  you  will 
rejoice  with  me,  in  the  thought  of  the  divine  gov- 
ernment, all  will  end  well. 

"  Could  you  see  Boston,  it  would  break  your 
heart.    God  will  revive  it,  and  make  it  a  quiet  habi- 
tation.    This  is  the  fixed  belief  of  your  affectionate 
"  Friend  and  humble  servant, 
"  Andrew  Eliot." 


100  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

"  August  3d. 

*  *  *  "  I  can  do  but  little  for  God  and  his 
people,  but  hope  my  tarrying  here  has  been  of  use. 
I  am  continually  employed  in  visiting  the  sick,  who 
are  numerous  ;  in  attending  the  prisoners,  though  it 
has  not  been  thought  proper  I  should  see  them 
of  late.  *  *  *  My  situation  is  difficult  enough  ; 
but  my  God  strengthens  me.  Things  will,  I  am 
persuaded,  issue  well  in  God's  time  and  way.  I 
leave  all  with  him.  'Tis  a  comfort  that  the  gospel 
opens  to  us  prospects  far  superior  to  any  this  world 
can  yield. 

"November  19th. 

"  I  have  no  hope  of  leaving  town  this  winter. 
God  knows  whether  I  shall  survive  the  difficulties  I 
am  called  to  go  through.  You  cannot  conceive  the 
anxiety  I  am  in.  Nothing  but  the  religion  of  Jesus 
Christ  could  support  me.  Whatever  I  meet  with, 
nothing  will  erase  till  death  the  affectionate  regard 
which  is  due  to  you  from  your  grateful  and  affec- 
tionate friend." 

"Boston,  March  26th,  1776. 

"  My  Dear  Sir, 

"  I  have  only  time  to  write  very  briefly,  in 
answer  to  your  kind  letter.  Through  the  goodness 
of  God,  I  am  well,  but  have  endured  much.  I  have 
not  received  any  remarkable  insults  from  our  late 
despots.     I  kept  as  much  as  possible  out  of  their 


LETTERS    FROM    DR.    ANDREW   ELIOT.         101 

way.  I  hope  the  manuscripts  in  the  Old  South 
steeple  are  not  meddled  with.  Dr.  Byles  is  well ; 
he  removed  a  few  nights,  I  am  told,  during  the  can- 
nonade, by  which  he  was  endangered :  I  have  not 
seen  him  since.  It  is  surprising  no  one  was  killed, 
and  only  a  boy  hurt  of  the  inhabitants,  by  all  the 
shells  and  shot  thrown  in  upon  us  of  late.  *  *  * 

"  The  British  troops  are  not  all  gone  from  Nan- 
tasket ;  some  departed  to-day.  I  never  expect  to 
see  them  or  any  other  British  soldiers  in  Boston. 

"  God  hath  done  great  things  for  us,  whereof  we 
are  glad.  God  grant  we  may  never  forget  his  works. 

"  My  regards  to  your  dear  wife,  your  parents, 
and  all  friends.  I  have  much  to  write,  but  have 
time  only  to  add  that  I  am, 

"  Yours  affectionately, 

"A.  Eliot." 

"I  am  told  the  province  records  are  carried  off, 
probably  the  Probate,  I  believe  no  other." 

Dr.  Eliot  died  in  September,  1778,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded in  his  pastoral  office  by  his  son,  Dr.  John 
Eliot. 


102  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

1782—1786. 

Condition  of  the  Family,  — Journey  to  Wliite  Hills. 

—  Election  Sermon. — Journey  to  Philadelphia. 

—  Parish  Difficulties.  — Se  leaves  Dover.  — Let- 
ter to  President  Willard.  —  Various  Proposals 
of  Friends. — Letter  from  Exeter. 

In  the  autumn  of  1783,  Mr.  Belknap  sent  his 
eldest  son,  Joseph,  then  nearly  fourteen  years  old, 
to  Philadelphia,  where  he  was  bound  as  an  appren- 
tice to  Mr.  Aitken,  printer.  The  following  summer, 
the  second  son,  Samuel,  went  to  Boston  to  live  with 
his  uncle,  Mr.  Samuel  Eliot,  who  was  an  importer 
of  British  goods.  The  other  children,  four  in  num- 
ber, two  sons  and  two  daughters,  remained  at  home. 

In  July,  1784,  was  accomplished  the  tour  to  the 
White  Mountains,  an  account  of  which  is  given  in 
the  third  volume  of  the  History  of  New  Hampshire, 
without  any  intimation,  however,  that  the  author 
of  it  was  one  of  the  company  of  gentlemen  there 
mentioned. 

There  were  seven  gentlemen  in  the  party,  three 
of  whom  were  clergymen.  On  Tuesday,  July  20th, 
they  left  Dover,  and  on  Friday  night  they  encamped 
at  the  foot  of  the  mountains.  The  next  morning 
the  ascent  was  attempted.     Dr.  Fisher,  of  Beverly, 


JOURXEY    TO    WHITE   HILLS.  103 

at  the  first  steep  ascent  found  himself  disabled  by  a 
pain  in  the  side,  and  turned  back.  Mr.  Belknap's 
breath  failed  him  after  two  hours'  hard  climbing  ; 
and,  upon  a  consultation,  he  decided  to  return  to  the 
camp  alone.  The  rest  of  the  party  succeeded  in 
gaining  the  summit  of  Mount  Washington ;  but  the 
view  was  obscured  by  clouds,  and  they  were  obliged 
to  pass  the  night  upon  the  mountains,  a  fire  they 
kindled  being  their  only  defence  against  the  rain. 

An  extract  from  Mr.  Belknap's  journal  of  this 
tour,  says  : 

"  As  we  passed  through  Eaton  and  Conway,  the 
appearance  of  so  many  persons,  more  than  ever  had 
been  seen  travelling  that  way,  was  very  amusing  to 
the  people.  "We  had  three  guns  and  one  pair  of 
pistols  in  the  company,  the  barometers  were  slung 
across  the  back  of  one,  and  the  sextant  was  carried 
in  a  large  bag.  This  uncommon  appearance  was 
the  subject  of  much  speculation ;  and  the  good 
women,  understanding  there  were  three  ministers  in 
the  company,  were  in  hopes  we  should  lay  the  spirits 
which  have  been  supposed  to  hover  about  the  White 
Mountains, — an  opinion  very  probably  derived  from 
the  Indians,  who  thought  these  mountains  the  habi- 
tation of  some  invisible  beings,  and  never  attempted 
to  ascend  them. 

"  Tuesday,  July  27th.  This  afternoon  a  thunder 
shower.  The  people  of  this  place  —  called  Mr. 
Whipple's  plantation,  who  are  five  or  six  families 


104  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

—  assembled  in  Mr.  Whipple's  barn,  and  I  preached 
them  a  sermon,  the  first  ever  preached  here,  from 
1st  Corinthians,  vi.  19,  20  : 

"  '  What,  know  ye  not  that  your  body  is  the  tem- 
ple of  the  Holy  Ghost  which  is  in  you,  which  ye 
have  of  God,  and  ye  are  not  your  own  ? 

"  '  For  ye  are  bought  with  a  price  :  therefore, 
glorify  God  in  your  body  and  in  your  spirit,  which 
are  God's.' 

"  Mr.  Little,  of  Wells,  baptised  eight  of  their 
children.  Mr.  Cutler,  of  Ipswich,  made  the  con- 
cluding prayer.  Thirty-eight  people  of  the  place 
were  present,  and  seemed  pleased  with  the  attention 
paid  them." 

Dr.  Fisher  was  left  behind  at  the  Notch,  to  collect 
birds  and  other  animal  and  vegetable  productions ; 
and  the  rest  of  the  party  returned  home.  Mr.  Bel- 
knap reached  Dover  on  Saturday  evening,  July  31st. 

On  June  2d,  1785,  by  appointment  of  the  Gen- 
eral Court  of  New  Hampshire,  Mr.  Belknap 
preached  the  Election  Sermon.  The  next  day  a 
committee  was  appointed  to  thank  him  for  his  "  in- 
genious discourse,"  and  request  a  copy  for  the 
press. 

The  text  was  Psalm  cxliv.  11,  15,  and  the  sub- 
ject, the  true  interest  of  the  State,  and  the  best 
means  of  promoting  its  prosperity ;  namely,  the 
education  of  youth,  the  improvement  of  the  country, 
peace,  and  religion. 


HIS   ELECTION    BKRMOK.  105 

u  What  will  become  of  your  republican  govern- 
ments," he  says,  "  if  they  are  not  nurtured  by 
public  education,  and  strengthened  by  public  virtue  ? 
If  these  points  be  not  attended  to,  you  may  expect 
a  domineering  aristocracy  to  succeed  your  present 
democratic  forms;  and  what  that  will  degenerate 
into,  let  the  nature  of  aspiring  ambition,  and  the 
histories  of  fallen  republics,  tell." 

The  improvement  of  inland  navigation  and  the 
encouragement  of  home  manufactures  are  strongly 
recommended,  and  also  the  preservation  of  peace  by 
every  possible  method,  concerning  which,  he  says : 

"  It  is  a  melancholy  consideration,  that  one  of 
the  most  effectual  methods  to  preserve  peace  is  to  be 
prepared  for  war ;  but  such  is  the  present  constitu- 
tion of  things  in  this  unhappy  world,  and  such  it 
will  be  till  the  gospel  of  peace  shall  so  far  prevail 
and  extend  its  influence,  as  that  the  nations  will 
either  avoid  all  occasions  of  controversy,  or  agree  to 
refer  their  disputes  to  some  arbitrating  power,  with 
a  peaceful  design  to  abide  its  determination.  The 
distant  hint  of  such  a  proposal  does  honor  to  the 
benevolent  heart  that  conceived  it,  and  will  do  more 
honor  to  the  states  or  nations  that  shall  publicly 
recommend  and  adopt  it.  But  at  present  it  seems 
as  if  things  must  go  on  in  their  old  course.  The 
lust  of  power  has  been  a  ruling  passion  ever  since 
the  days  of  Nimrod,  and  there  is  no  effectual  way 
to  check  it,  but  by  forcible  resistance.     Convinced 


106  LIFE   OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

that  a  nation  cannot  preserve  itself  from  insult,  but 
by  rendering  itself  formidable,  as  a  lover  of  peace 
I  must  wish  to  see  my  country  prepared  for  war ; 
to  see  every  cannon  which  now  lies  carelessly  about 
our  streets  and  wharves,  and  in  our  forts,  properly 
secured  from  decay ;  every  musket  and  sword  fur- 
bished and  kept  in  the  nicest  order ;  our  militia 
officered,  instructed,  arranged  and  accoutred,  and 
ready  for  the  field  on  the  shortest  notice  ;  our  arse- 
nals and  magazines  well  supplied  ;  our  fortifications 
repaired  and  strengthened,  and  garrisoned  at  least 
with  invalids.  God  only  knows  who  our  next  ene- 
mies may  be,  or  how  soon  we  may  have  occasion  for 
our  veteran  officers  and  soldiers,  and  our  foreign 
friends  and  allies." 

To  promote  the  fourth  and  last  object  of  national 
prosperity  mentioned  above,  he  recommends  a  na- 
tional religion,  and  then  explains  his  meaning  as 
follows : 

"  Let  no  man  here  take  an  alarm  as  if  by  a  na- 
tional religion  I  would  recommend  the  establishment 
of  any  modes  or  forms  in  preference  to  others.  The 
world  has  too  long  been  abused  with  attempts  to 
impose  uniformity  ;  and  our  constitution  has  wisely 
avoided  that  fatal  rock,  on  which  conscience  and 
truth  have  often  suffered  shipwreck.  By  a  national 
religion  I  would  be  understood  to  mean  an  acknowl- 
edgment of  the  being,  perfections,  and  providence  of 
one  Supreme  God ;  a  sense  of  his  moral  government, 


JOURNEY   TO   PHILADELPHIA.  107 

both  in  this  and  a  future  state ;  and  a  careful  ob- 
servance of  the  eternal  laws  of  justice,  truth  and 
mercy,  in  all  our  public  conduct.  If  these  princi- 
ples be  admitted  into  our  national  councils,  and  our 
national  character  be  formed  upon  them,  we  may 
truly  be  said  to  have  the  Lord  for  our  God,  however 
different  our  speculations  or  practice  may  be  as  in- 
dividuals or  religious  societies.  These  are  princi- 
ples in  which  honest  men  of  all  denominations  will 
agree ;  and  if,  by  a  strict  adherence  to  them,  we 
acknowledge  God  in  all  our  public  ways,  we  shall 
have  reason  to  hope  and  believe  that  he  will  direct 
our  steps." 

Other  extracts  might  be  made  of  equal  or  greater 
interest ;  but  the  above  will  show  that  though  so 
many  years  have  passed  since  the  discourse  was  de- 
livered, the  truths  it  contains  are  not  obsolete,  and 
the  practical  application  of  some  of  them  is  equally 
important  to  us  in  our  present  condition. 

On  the  17th  of  September,  1785,  Mr.  Belknap 
left  home  on  a  journey  to  Philadelphia  ;  on  the  first 
day,  Saturday,  proceeding  only  to  Portsmouth, 
where  he  remained  over  the  Sabbath.  On  the  21st 
he  reached  Boston,  and  stopped  there  for  a  week, 
preaching  on  the  25th  at  Charlestown.  The  follow- 
ing letter  to  his  wife  gives  his  prospects  as  to  pur- 
suing his  journey : 


108  LIFE   OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

';  Boston,  Tuesday,  Sept.  27th,  1785. 

"My  Dear  Wife, 

"  I  am  disappointed  of  my  intended  journey 
to  Providence,  by  the  means  of  a  set  of  English 
factors,  or  something  else,  who,  after  I  had  engaged 
a  passage  for  myself  in  the  coach,  went  and  hired 
the  whole  of  it  to  themselves  ;  and  the  base  fellow  of 
a  coachman  shut  me  out.  Your  brother  is  vexed 
on  the  occasion  as  much  as  myself.  Another  coach 
is  expected  in  this  evening,  and  I  have  laid  in  for  a 
place  in  it ;  but  as  these  stages  do  not  go  on  any 
fixed  day,  but  only  as  they  find  company,  I  may  be 
detained  here  till  Thursday :  however,  I  have  time 
enough  before  me,  the  whole  month  of  October,  at 
the  end  of  which  I  hope  to  see  you  again.  I  have 
received  fifteen  dollars  of  my  Charlestown  friends, 
which  has  paid  my  expenses  of  outset,  and  leaves 
me  about  seventy  or  eighty  dollars  for  my  further 
expenses.  I  hope  to  hear  from  you  when  I  get  to 
New  York,  which  may  be  about  the  beginning  of 
next  week." 

On  Thursday,  the  29th,  the  stage  coach  was 
again  ready,  and  Mr.  Belknap  took  a  place  in  it  for 
Providence  ;  the  illness  of  a  lady  passenger  obliged 
them  to  pass  the  night  at  "Hatch's,"  in  Attleboro', 
and  they  reached  Providence  the  next  morning. 
While  here,  Mr.  Belknap  endeavored  to  gain  infor- 
mation concerning  the  early  history  of  the  town. 


VISIT   TO    PROVIDENCE.  109 

On  Sunday,  he  preached  twice  for  Mr.  Hitchcock ; 
and  on  Monday,  he  says :  "  Spent  the  day  in 
searching  among  some  of  the  ancient  people,  and 
those  of  a  literary  turn,  for  some  anecdotes  of  Rog- 
er Williams  and  the  old  settlers  of  this  place.  Da- 
rius Sessions,  Esq.,  formerly  Governor,  informed  me 
that  Williams  came  from  Boston  to  Pawtucket  river 
in  the  winter,  and  that  he  passed  it  above  the  falls, 
on  the  ice,  and  came  to  the  high  plain  on  the  west 
side  of  Moshawsick  river,  from  whence  he  saw  the 
bay,  which  he  was  rejoiced  to  find  was  an  arm  of 
the  sea  ;  that  he  crossed  Moshawsick  creek,  and  on 
the  eastern  side  found  a  spring  issuing  from  under 
the  hill ;  of  this  he  drank,  having  been  without 
water  for  some  time  before,  the.  streams  being  fro- 
zen ;  and  observing  that  God  in  his  providence  had 
taken  care  for  the  supply  of  their  wants,  gave  the 
place  the  name  of  Providence.  Governor  Bowen's 
tradition  differs  from  this  only  in  one  particular, 
namely,  that  he  came  down  to  Pawtucket  river  in 
a  canoe,  and  up  the  stream  to  Moshawsick,  and 
landed  near  the  said  spring.  From  the  nature  of 
the  place  and  the  season  of  the  year,  I  think  the 
former  account  most  probable. 

"  Governor  Bowen  also  told  me  that  the  last  in- 
terview which  old  Roger  Williams  had  with  Philip, 
Sachem  of  the  Wampanoags,  was  just  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  troubles  in  1675,  when  Philip  with  his 
warriors  had  been  driving  cattle  from  Rehoboth,  and 


110  LIFE    OF    DR.    BELKNAP. 

came  to  the  hill  opposite  Williams's  house  at  Provi- 
dence. Williams  took  his  staff,  and  crossed  the  wa- 
ter at  the  fording-place  (where  the  mills  now  stand), 
to  go  and  expostulate  with  them.  Philip,  seeing 
him,  came  down  the  hill  to  meet  him,  and  forbade 
his  going  up,  telling  him  the  young  Indians  would 
kill  him.  Williams  pressed  for  leave  to  go  up,  but 
Philip  would  not  permit  him ;  he  then  expostulated 
on  their  warlike  appearance,  asked  if  any  injustice 
had  been  done,  and  vindicated  himself  and  his 
neighbors  from  any  blame.  Philip  answered  that 
his  young  men  had  grown  jealous  that  the  English 
wanted  to  dispossess  them  of  the  country,  and  were 
determined  to  make  a  bold  push  to  exterminate  them, 
and  that  he  could  not  restrain  them.  He  then  led 
the  old  man  back  to  the  water,  and  stood  by  to  see 
him  safe  over ;  but,  before  he  could  ascend  the  hill 
to  return  home,  the  young  Indians  fired  at  him. 
They  then  held  their  feast.  Williams  never  saw 
Philip  after  this." 

Mr.  Belknap  obtained,  by  the  kindness  of  a 
friend,  Governor  Hopkins'  account  of  the  planting 
and  growth  of  Providence  ;  and  his  journal  contains 
the  following  observation  on  the  principles  of  its 
founder : 

"  Upon  the  whole,  I  think  that  although  Roger 
Williams  was  right  in  his  idea  of  liberty  of  con- 
science, upon  which  principle  the  colony  of  Rhode 
Island  was  established,  yet  there  ought  to  have  been 


VISIT   TO    NEWPORT.  Ill 

more  care  taken  by  the  early  settlers  here  for  the 
cultivation  of  the  minds  of  youth,  by  erecting  and 
endowing  schools  and  seminaries  of  learning.  In 
that  case,  youth,  being  properly  instructed  and  prin- 
cipled, would  have  known  what  use  to  make  of 
their  liberty,  when  they  had  come  to  years  of  un- 
derstanding ;  but  this  early  cultivation  being  want- 
ing, an  unlimited  liberty  of  conscience  and  freedom 
from  the  obligation  of  supporting  ministers,  has  in 
too  many  instances  produced -an  unrestrained  licen- 
tiousness of  manners,  and  a  careless  disregard  of 
virtue.  Massachusetts  on  one  side,  and  Connecticut 
on  the  other,  were  at  the  same  time  very  strict  in 
regard  to  settling  ministers,  and  enforcing  the  pay- 
ment of  taxes  for  their  support ;  it  may  be  that  the 
Rhode  Island  people  were  fond  of  showing  them- 
selves too  much  in  the  other  extreme,  and  were  led 
into  more  licentiousness  by  means  of  these  exam- 
ples." 

"  Tuesday,  Oct.  4th,  P.  M.  There  was  an 
incipient  meeting  of  the  Rhode  Island  Association, 
at  Mr.  Hitchcock's.  Dr.  Stiles,  Mr.  Rogerson,  and 
Ellis  of  Rehoboth,  White  of  Bristol,  and  Smith  of 
Dighton,  present.  In  the  evening,  a  lecture,  which, 
after  much  discussion,  fell  to  my  lot  by  vote  to 
preach.  Mr.  Ellis  prayed,  and  I  preached  from 
Acts  xxvi.  28 :  '  Almost  thou  persuadest  me  to  be 
a  Christian.'  " 

The  next  day  he  sailed  in  a  packet  for  Newport, 


112  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

where  many  sad  marks  were  visible  of  its  late  sub- 
jection to  the  British.  The  public  library  was 
pilfered  by  them  of  its  most  valuable  books  ;  the 
elegant  building  in  which  it  was  deposited  also  suf- 
fered much  damage.  The  meeting-houses  were 
turned  into  barracks  and  storehouses,  and  some 
elegant  buildings  burnt  or  otherwise  destroyed. 

After  many  delays,  on  Monday  morning,  Oct. 
10th,  between  8  and  9  o'clock,  he  landed  at  Crane 
Wharf,  in  the  city  of  New  York.  Of  the  passage, 
the  following  portion  of  a  letter  to  his  wife  gives 
some  account  : 

"New  York,  Oct.  11th,  1785. 

"My  Dear  Wife, 

"  From  the  letter  I  wrote  while  at  Provi- 
dence, you  will  see  that  I  survived  the  storm  which  you 
mention,  being  all  the  time  of  it  at  Boston.  Several 
squally  days  which  we  have  had  since,  I  was  either 
at  Providence  or  Xewport,  in  one  and  the  other  of 
which  places  I  was  detained  eight  days,  waiting  for 
a  fair  wind  and  a  freight  of  passengers. 

"  On  Friday  last  Ave  sailed  ;  but,  before  we  left  the 
harbor,  the  wind  came  ahead,  and  we  beat  to  wind- 
ward (a  species  of  sailing  I  never  before  was  ac- 
quainted with,  and  never  wish  to  be  again),  till  we 
found  it  impossible  to  weather  Point  Judith,  and 
then  we  returned  to  port.  Saturday  morning,  with 
three  more  passengers,  seven  in  all,  we  sailed  again, 


ARRIVES   AT   NEW   YORK.  113 

with  a  fair  wind,  and  had  a  very  pleasant  passage 
up  the  Sound,  in  a  very  swift-sailing  sloop,  with  ev- 
ery desirable  accommodation  for  eating,  drinking, 
and  sleeping." 

Among  the  passengers  were  a  newly  married 
pair,  on  their  way  to  a  new  settlement,  one  hundred 
and  thirty  miles  above  New  York,  towards  Albany. 
The  letter  continues  : 

"lam  treated  here  with  every  possible  mark  of 
attention,  by  Mr.  Hazard  and  his  very  cheerful  and 
obliging  wife.  I  hope  to  spend  the  next  Sabbath  in 
Philadelphia.  I  am  sorry  our  people  cannot  get  a 
supply  of  preaching  ;  but  it  is  impossible  for  me  to 
return  before  the  end  of  this  month,  do  the  best  I 
can,  with  the  best  winds  and  weather." 

Among  other  items,  is  this,  which  still  has  interest 
for  us  : 

"  At  Providence,  I  met  with  Dr.  Stiles,  who  in- 
troduced me  to  a  very  worthy  family  at  Newport, 
by  the  name  of  Channing. 

"  In  short,  I  have  met  with  as  much  good  com- 
pany and  good  treatment  as  I  could  possibly  wish  ; 
and  except  the  beating  to  windward,  on  Friday  last, 
wThich  made  me  downright  sea-sick,  I  have  not  had 
an  unpleasant  hour  since  I  left  home.  Adieu,  my 
dear,  and  believe  me  your  most 

"  Affectionate  friend, 

"  Jere.  Belknap. 


114  LIFE   OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

"  Oct.  12th.     A  mail  in  to-day  from  the  eastward, 
and  no  letter  for  me.    I  go  to  Philadelphia  to-morrow." 
"  Heaven  bless  you  ! " 

The  sittings  of  Congress  had  been  removed  from 
Philadelphia  to  New  York  ;  and  Mr.  Belknap  gives 
the  following  description  of  the  room  occupied  by 
them,  in  the  old  City  Hall,  in  Wall  Street : 

"  The  chamber  where  Congress  sits  is  ornamented 
with  full-length  portraits  of  the  King  and  Queen  of 
France,  in  rich  frames,  covered  with  a  silk  curtain : 
these  pictures  are  highly  finished,  and  were  presented 
by  the  king  to  Congress.  The  President's  seat  is 
a  plain  arm-chair,  on  a  raised  step,  under  a  green 
canopy.  Over  his  head  is  a  large  sun,  surrounded 
by  twelve  stars  ;  before  him,  a  desk  ;  at  his  right 
hand,  sits  the  secretary,  with  a  green  desk ;  several 
tables  serve  for  the  members,  who  sit  in  plain,  green 
chairs. 

"  Having  spent  four  days  at  New  York  with  my 
friend  Hazard,  who  was  so  kind  as  to  show  me  all 
worth  seeing  in  the  city,  on  the  afternoon  of  Thurs- 
day, October  13th,  I  crossed  Hudson's  river  to 
Paulet  Hook,  about  sunset,  to  be  ready  to  go  in  the 
Neiv  Flying  Diligence  the  next  morning. 

"  Friday,  14th.  Between  3  and  4  in  the  morn- 
ing, I  set  off  in  the  stage  for  Philadelphia.  We 
rode  nine  miles  to  Bergen  Neck,  and  then  crossed 
a  ferry,  which  brought  us  to  Woodbridge.      Just 


ARRIVES    AT    PHILADELPHIA.  115 

before  we  reached  the  second  ferry,  we  perceived 
the  dawn  of  day,  and  the  sun  rose  when  we  had 
ridden  two  miles  from  it ;  so  that  we  had  travelled 
sixteen  miles  and  crossed  two  ferries  before  sunrise, 
and  shifted  horses  twice.  The  third  stage  brought 
us  to  Brunswick,  where  we  breakfasted.  We  here 
crossed  the  Raritan  in  a  scow,  open  at  both  ends, 
to  receive  and  discharge  the  carriage  without  unhar- 
nessing or  dismounting ;  and  the  scow  was  pulled 
across  the  river  by  a  rope.  We  passed  through 
Princeton  about  noon,  and  got  to  Trenton  to  dinner  ; 
then  passed  the  Delaware  in  another  scow,  which 
was  navigated  only  by  setting-poles.  We  then 
drove  thirty  miles  over  a  plain,  level  country,  at  a 
great  rate,  and  arrived  at  Philadelphia  just  at  sun- 
set, being  ninety-six  miles.  We  changed  horses 
seven  times  in  this  route,  and  the  carriage  four 
times." 

Here  his  first  object  was  to  see  his  son,  who  was 
apprenticed  to  Mr.  Aitken,  the  printer  of  the  first 
volume  of  his  History.  The  meeting  is  thus  de- 
scribed, in  a  letter  to  his  wife : 

M  I  sent  for  Josey  to  the  inn  where  the  stage  put 
up,  and  the  dear  child  was  overjoyed,  and  shed 
tears  at  seeing  me.  They  had  heard  of  my  arrival 
at  New  York,  and  the  family  talk  had  ever  since 
been  about  me.  A  lodging  was  prepared  for  me 
at  Mr.  Aitken's,  and  I  was  received  with  all  the 
cordiality  of  an  intimate  friend. 


116  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

"  Saturday,  15th.  Attended  a  famous  trial  in 
the  State  House,  where  the  King  of  France  was 
plaintiff,  and  Robert  Morris  defendant.  The  jury 
gave  it  to  the  latter.  The  judges  were  dressed  in 
scarlet  robes,  and  sat  with  their  hats  on.  Their 
names  were  McKean,  Bryan,  Atlee,  and  Rush. 
The  lawyers  had  black  coats,  but  no  gowns." 

On  Sunday,  Oct.  16th,  in  the  morning,  Mr.  Bel- 
knap "  attended  divine  worship  at  the  Scots  Sece- 
ders'  Church ; "  in  the  afternoon,  he  preached  for 
"  Mr.  Duffield,  pastor  of  the  old  Presbyterian  Soci- 
ety ;  "  and,  remaining  in  Philadelphia  through  the 
next  week,  he  preached  on  the  next  Sabbath  for  Dr. 
Ewing  and  Dr.  Sprout,  also  presbyterian  clergymen. 

He  visited  Bishop  White,  then  Dr.  White,  min- 
ister of  Christ  Church,  "  an  amiable  and  wor- 
thy man,"  and  saw,  likewise,  Dr.  McGaw,  another 
episcopal  clergyman,  whom  he  calls  "  a  sensible, 
modest,  candid  man."  The  latter  informed  Mr. 
Belknap,  that  the  late  convention  of  the  episcopal 
churches  in  Philadelphia  had  agreed  upon  a  reform 
of  the  liturgy,  &c.  Mr.  Belknap  says,  "There 
seems  to  be  a  spirit  of  candor,  liberality,  and  inde- 
pendence, in  all  their  proceedings,  which  is  a  good 
sign  of  a  further  reformation. 

"  The  presbyterians,  in  this  part  of  the  country, 
seem  to  be  forming  an  union,  and  laying  aside  their 
former  distinctions  :  this  is  another  good  sign. 

"  The  many  religious  distinctions  in  this  place 


THE    PHILOSOPHICAL    SOCIETY.  117 

have,  doubtless,  some  ill  effect  on  the  tempers  of 
some  of  the  people  ;  but  there  is  observable  in  the 
greater  part  that  I  conversed  with,  a  spirit  of  can- 
dor and  benevolence.  Persons  of  various  denomi- 
nations frequently  assist  each  other  to  build  churches 
and  schools.  The  Quakers  are  an  opulent  and 
independent  society ;  some  of  the  richest  of  them 
ride  in  coaches  and  chariots,  and  their  women  wear 
umbrellas;  and  some  of  the  younger,  hoops  and 
sashes,  and  gold  watches  ;  others  are  very  plain." 

Of  the  Philosophical  Society,  of  which  he  was  a 
member,  Mr.  Belknap  gives  the  following  account, 
in  a  letter  to  a  friend : 

"  As  to  the  Philosophical  Society,  it  is  neglected 
by  most  of  the  members ;  scarcely  six  or  eight  get 
together,  unless  on  some  extraordinary  occasion. 
One  meeting  happened  while  I  was  there,  and  I 
fully  expected  to  attend  it ;  but  though  at  the  ap- 
pointed hour  I  was  in  company  with  my  very  worthy 
friend,  Dr.  Clarkson,  who  is  a  member,  and  urged 
him  to  go,  as  he  had  partly  engaged  before,  yet  his 
indifference  to  the  matter  prevailed  on  me  to  sacri- 
fice my  philosophy  to  friendship,  and  we  spent  the 
evening  (as  he  thought)  much  more  pleasantly.  I 
afterward  learned  that  there  were  five  or  six  of  them 
together ;  and  their  entertainment  was  a  piece  that 
Dr.  Franklin  sent  them,  on  a  method  to  make  chim- 
neys carry  smoke  well.  As  to  printing  another  vol- 
ume of  transactions,  their  papers  have  been  scattered 


118  LIFE   OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

and  lost  in  the  late  war;  but  it  is  said  they  have 
enough  to  make  another  volume,  if  any  body  would 
put  it  forward.  I  hope  the  publication  of  ours  will 
set  them  about  it ;  for  they  will  not  like  to  be  rivalled 
by  the  New  Englanders,  being  already  before  us  in 
point  of  improvements  of  almost  every  kind,  not 
merely  in  their  own  opinions,  but  in  the  estimation  of 
some  candid  countrymen  of  ours,  who  have  visited 
them." 

On  Monday  the  24th,  he  returned  to  New  York. 
The  journey  varied  from  that  to  Philadelphia,  by  a 
sail  of  fifteen  miles,  from  Elizabethtown  Point  to 
New  York. 

"  Wednesday  26th,  at  half  past  2  P.  M.,  set  sail 
in  the  Polly  packet,  Godfrey,  jun.,  commander, 
for  Rhode  Island.  The  wind  north-west,  and  a  fresh 
gale,  passed  Hellgate  rapidly,  wind  and  tide  in  our 
favor ;  had  a  steady  fine  gale  all  night,  and  made  a 
long  run ;  course,  east  by  north.  On  the  morning  of 
Thursday,  Oct.  27th,  at  sunrise,  found  ourselves  be- 
tween Fisher's  Island  and  Stonington ;  at  quarter 
before  twelve,  we  landed  at  Newport ;  the  voyage 
twenty-one  hours  only,  which  is  esteemed  a  very 
fine  one.  Dined  this  day  with  Mr.  William  Chan- 
ning,  and  lodged  at  his  house,  being  persuaded  to 
stay  here  over  the  Sabbath." 

On  Sunday,  Oct.  30th,  Mr.  Belknap  preached  in 
the  morning,  for  the  second  congregational  church, 
late  Dr.  Stiles',  then  President  of  Yale  College  ;  in 


EMBARRASSMENTS   AT   DOVER.  119 

the  afternoon  for  Mr.  Hopkins  ;  and  in  the  evening 
for  Mr.  Foster,  a  Baptist  clergyman. 

In  the  course  of  this  journey,  Mr.  Belknap  preach- 
ed for  Presbyterian  and  Baptist  clergymen,  as  well  as 
for  those  of  his  own  denomination,  Congregationalists. 
This  interchange  was  cnstomary  then,  and  must  have 
had  a  beneficial  influence  in  enlarging  the  views  of 
the  different  sects,  and  promoting  a  spirit  of  tolera- 
tion and  charity  toward  one  another,  of  which  there 
is  always  need  in  a  religious  community  like  ours, 
where  every  man  is  free  to  do  that  which  is  right  in 
his  own  eyes,  and  yet,  notwithstanding  this  privilege, 
is  often  ready  to  condemn  his  neighbor  for  looking 
in  a  different  direction. 

On  Monday,  the  31st,  he  sailed  up  the  bay  to 
Providence  ;  and  on  Saturday,  November  5th,  he 
reached  Dover  in  safety.  His  journal  concludes 
with  this  statement,  so  satisfactory  to  the  returning 
traveller,  "  Found  all  my  family  well." 

The  embarrassment  occasioned  by  the  non-payment 
of  his  salary  grew  more  and  more  distressing,  and 
the  unwillingness  of  the  parish  to  do  their  duty  was 
more  and  more  apparent.  In  1774,  Mr.  Belknap 
applied  to  them  for  a  supply  of  wood,  reminding 
them  that  he  had  relieved  them  from  it  at  the  time 
of  his  settlement,  on  account  of  their  aged  pastor's 
requirements.  Mr.  Cushing  died  March  25th,  1769, 
at  the  advanced  age  of  seventy-nine  years  ;  and  the 
necessity  for  this  application  so  long  after,  shows  the 


120  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

disposition  of  a  people  from  whom  there  was  every 
reason  to  expect  a  contrary  course  of  action.  Four 
years  later,  in  a  letter  to  a  friend,  which  was  never 
sent,  he  thus  describes  his  position : 

"  I  scarcely  think  from  what  I  have  experienced, 
that  I  shall  be  able  to  obtain  the  necessaries  of  life 
another  year,  without  the  most  strenuous  exertions 
of  those  who  are  my  friends  from  principle  ;  and 
their  influence  will  not  prevail  on  others  to  do  their 
duty,  so  that  my  support  is  absolutely  become  a 
burden  to  a  people  who,  I  used  to  think,  bore  it 
cheerfully. 

"  Was  it  owing  to  their  poverty,  or  sufferings  in 
the  cause  of  the  country,  I  could  not  only  bear  it 
patiently,  but  should  think  it  my  duty  to  partake  of 
their  sufferings  to  the  utmost  possible  degree  ;  but, 
the  truth  is,  they  have  been  growing  rich  on  the  spoils 
of  their  country,  and  you  know  the  adage,  '  Crescit 
amor  nummi  quantum  ipsa  pecunia  crescit.' 

"  There  are  at  this  day  hundreds  of  bushels  of 
bread-corn  withheld  for  a  price.  It  is  with  diffi- 
culty I  can  get  a  supply.  I  am  actually  obliged 
to  plant  my  own  bread-corn  this  year,  and  expect 
to  handle  the  hoe  as  a  common  laborer,  as  my 
wife  is  forced  to  do  the  wheel,  to  the  great  in- 
jury of  her  health,  and  the  neglect  of  the  other 
necessary  business  of  the  family  ;  and  my  neighbors 
have  their  flocks  and  herds  so  multiplied,  that  I  can- 
not even  get  pasturing  for  my  cows. 


HE    LEAVES    DOVER.  121 

"  These  things  are  a  continual  source  of  vexation 
both  of  body  and  mind ;  thej  take  off  my  attention 
from  my  proper  business,  and  unfit  me  for  the  duties 
of  my  station." 

These  troubles  kept  his  mind  in  perpetual  agita- 
tion, until  the  final  decision  to  leave  Dover,  in  Sep- 
tember, 1786  ;  which  was  a  great  relief  to  himself 
and  his  friends,  though  it  threw  him  upon  the  world 
with  a  family  to  support,  and  only  his  own  powers 
of  mind  to  depend  upon  for  subsistence. 

He  bore  his  trials  with  Christian  fortitude.  He 
did  not  speak  harshly  of  those  who  had  shown  them- 
selves so  unworthy  ;  very  few  of  his  friends  were 
made  acquainted  with  his  difficulties  ;  and  even  to 
his  own  children,  then  and  in  after  years,  he  was 
always  silent  on  the  subject. 

A  narrative  of  his  efforts  during  four  years  to  ob- 
tain compliance  with  a  contract  made  by  unanimous 
consent,  and  of  the  evasions  and  procrastinations  by 
which  these  efforts  were  defeated,  was  written  by 
Mr.  Belknap,  and  is  still  in  existence  ;  but  it  may 
be  passed  over  in  silence,  as  it  relates  to  the  actions 
of  a  generation  that  sleep  with  their  fathers,  and  a 
better  instructed  people  now  occupy  their  places, 
some  of  whom  have  shown  a  respectful  remembrance 
of  his  name. 

The  only  contemporary  of  Mr.  Belknap  now  living, 
is  the  venerable  Dr.  Ezra  Green,  of  Dover,  who 


122  LIFE   OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

was  an  active  member  of  the  parish,  and  was  always 
his  firm  friend,  and  a  worthy  and  honorable  man. 
He  is  now  more  than  one  hundred  and  one  years  old, 
yet  still  retains  his  mental  faculties,  and  cherishes 
the  memory  of  his  former  pastor. 

On  dissolving  his  connection  with  the  Dover 
parish,  Mr.  Belknap  wrote  a  letter  to  President 
Willard,  of  Harvard  University,  of  which  the  follow- 
ing is  an  imperfect  sketch : 

"Dear  Sir, 

"  The  kindness  which  you  have  shown  at 
several  times  in  inquiring  into  my  circumstances, 
and  offering  your  assistance  in  case  of  need,  encour- 
ages me  to  inform  you,  that,  after  long  waiting  on  the 
people  of  this  parish  for  a  just  and  amicable  settle- 
ment, and  finding  no  methods  practicable  to  form 
such  an  union  as  would  be  mutually  agreeable,  I 
have  now  finally  quitted  them ;  the  relation  being 
dissolved  by  mutual  consent. 

"  I  am  now  again  a  candidate  for  the  ministry, 
and  can,  if  need  be,  procure  sufficient  testimonials 
from  the  neighboring  ministers  and  other  gentle- 
men. As  Providence  has  placed  you  in  a  situation 
which  renders  you  capable  of  diffusive  benefit  to 
ministers  and  churches,  it  may  be  in  your  power — I 
doubt  not  it  is  your  inclination  —  to  serve  me  as  well 
as  others  in  my  circumstances.     I  wish  to  be  ser- 


CONTINUES    IX   THE   MINISTRY.  123 

viceable  to  the  best  interests  of  mankind,  and  to  be 
still  employed  in  the  vineyard,  if  the  Lord  of  it  shall 
appoint  me  a  place." 

He  had  no  thought  of  leaving  the  ministry,  hold- 
ing the  opinion  that  any  other  occupation  would  be 
a  descent  from  that  dignified  station ;  but  preached 
for  several  months  to  vacant  parishes,  where  he  was 
invited,  obtaining  the  usual  compensation,  until  he 
received  an  acceptable  call  from  a  society  in  Boston, 
the  ensuing  winter.  During  this  time,  he  preached 
at  Exeter,  Concord,  Beverly,  &c,  and  his  friends 
proposed  various  plans  for  his  acceptance. 

Dr.  John  Eliot  suggested  a  belles-lettres  school 
in  Boston  ;  the  proprietors  of  the  Columbian  Maga- 
zine, of  Philadelphia,  offered  him  one  hundred  pounds 
per  annum,  if  he  would  edit  that  work ;  and  Mr. 
Matthew  Carey,  who  was  one  of  them,  offered  him 
twenty  guineas  for  the  historical  part  of  an  Ameri- 
can Annual  Register,  which  he  proposed  to  publish. 
These  proposals  did  not  reach  Mr.  Belknap,  until 
he  was  otherwise  occupied  and  engaged. 

The  first  place  he  went  to  on  leaving  Dover  was 
Exeter  ;  and,  while  there,  the  insurrection  broke  out, 
of  which  an  account  is  given  in  the  History  of  Xew 
Hampshire.  The  following  is  an  extract  from  a 
letter  written  on  the  spot,  at  the  time  of  the  oc- 
currence of  the  events  which  it  describes  : 


124  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

"  Exeter,  24th  Sept.,  at  night,  1786. 

"  The  week  past  has  afforded  a  very  busy  and 
important  scene  here.  A  party  of  about  two  hun- 
dred men,  headed  by  the  Chairman  of  a  late  con- 
vention, appeared  in  arms  on  the  20th  inst.,  "Wed- 
nesday last,  and  beset  the  house  where  the  general 
court  was  sitting,  to  demand  an  answer,  in  half  an 
hour,  to  a  petition  which  they  had  before  sent,  for  an 
emission  of  paper  money.  They  kept  the  court 
prisoners  all  the  afternoon ;  but,  as  soon  as  it  grew 
dark,  a  few  old  continental  officers,  with  some  others, 
formed  an  association,  shouted  '  Huzza  for  govern- 
ment ! '  got  out  an  old  field  piece,  and  set  them 
scampering  over  the  fences  so  as  to  release  the  mem- 
bers from  their  confinement.  The  mob  retreated 
about  a  mile  or  two,  and  passed  the  night  in  some 
houses  and  barns.  In  the  evening,  Gen.  Sullivan 
sent  out  expresses,  and  collected  the  militia  and 
three  companies  of  light  horse;  early  the  next 
morning,  he  despatched  a  party  of  thirty  horsemen 
by  a  private  road,  who  came  on  the  rear  of  the  in- 
surgents, took  possession  of  a  bridge  which  cut  off 
their  retreat,  and  then  advanced  with  the  militia 
toward  the  bridge,  where  thirty-nine  of  the  insur- 
gents were  made  prisoners,  without  any  other  dam- 
age than  a  few  slight  cuts.  Parties  of  light  horse 
were  afterward  despatched  as  far  as  Londonderry, 
and  some  more  taken  in  their  own  houses,  and 
brought  here.    They  have  been  examined  ;  some  of 


INSURRECTION   AT   EXETER.  125 

them  appeared  extremely  humble  and  ashamed  ; 
they  were  led  into  the  mischief  by  artful  men,  who 
have  kept  themselves  out  of  the  way.  The  greater 
part  were  released,  and  sent  home  ;  but  six  of  the 
most  culpable  are  in  prison  here,  to  be  brought  be- 
fore the  Superior  Court  to-morrow.  This  evening  a 
report  is  brought  in,  that  a  rescue  is  to  be  attempted  ; 
and  the  Chief  Justice  has  issued  a  warrant  for  a 
strong  guard  at  the  prison.     ****** 

"Monday  before  sunrise.  No  disturbance  has 
happened,  so  I  hope  the  culprits  are  safe.  The 
whole  conduct  of  this  affair  on  both  sides,  I  trust, 
will  prove  beneficial.  The  riotous  spirit  has  met  a 
severe  check,  which  will  give  a  deep  wound  to  the 
knavish  system  ;  the  hands  of  lawful  government 
will  be  strengthened ;  it  will  give  a  spur  to  the 
militia,  and  each  side  will  now  know  their  own 
strength  and  weakness.  Our  General  Sullivan  be- 
haved with  great  prudence,  firmness,  and  despatch  ; 
and  success  crowned  his  exertions.  General  Ceily 
distinguished  himself  by  rushing  sword  in  hand 
among  the  rioters,  and  pulling  them  out  as  a  butcher 
would  seize  sheep  in  a  flock.  Several  other  conti- 
nental officers  and  soldiers  did  eminent  service. 
The  rabble  were  struck  with  a  panic  at  the  sight  of 
the  light  horse,  and  the  very  name  of  artillery. 
They  fled  over  fences  and  into  the  woods,  and  scat- 
tered in  all  directions." 


126  LIFE   OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

CHAPTER  V. 

1784—1788. 

The  History  of  JVeiv  Hampshire.  —  Letter  to  Gen. 
Washington ,  and  Reply.  — Invitation  from  the 
Church  in  Federal  Street,  Boston.  — Letter  from 
Proprietors,  and  Reply. — Anonymous  Accusa- 
tion and  Defence.  —  Installation.  —  Various  Oc- 
cupations. —  Correspondence  with  Dr.  Rush. 

The  next  event  of  importance  to  be  noticed  in  Mr. 
Belknap's  life,  and  it  is  one  of  the  most  important, 
is  the  publication  of  the  History  of  New  Hampshire. 
In  the  preface  to  the  first  volume,  he  gives  this  ac- 
count of  the  causes  which  led  him  to  engage  in  the 
work :  "  The  compiler  of  this  history  was  early  im- 
pelled, by  his  natural  curiosity,  to  inquire  into  the 
original  settlement,  progress,  and  improvement  of 
the  country  which  gave  him  birth. 

"  When  he  took  up  his  residence  in  New  Hamp- 
shire, his  inquiries  were  more  particularly  directed 
to  that  part  of  it.  Having  met  with  some  valuable 
manuscripts  which  were  but  little  known,  he  began  to 
extract  and  methodize  the  principal  things  in  them  ; 
and  this  employment  was  (to  speak  in  the  style  of  a 
celebrated  modern  author)  '  his  hobby-horse.'  " 

The  work  was  commenced  during  the  administra- 
tion of  Governor  Wentworth,  who  wras  much  inter- 


THE   HISTORY    OF   NEW   HAMPSHIRE.  127 

ested  in  its  progress,  and  had  the  command  of  books 
and  papers,  which  he  lent  to  Mr.  Belknap,  or  had 
transcribed  for  him.  In  a  letter  dated  July  6th, 
1774,  thanking  the  governor  for  some  papers  and 
books,  he  says  : 

"  When  I  consider  the  trouble  I  put  your  Ex- 
cellency to,  and  the  expectation  you  and  other  gen- 
tlemen may  probably  form  from  thence,  I  am 
ashamed  to  think  that,  after  all,  the  mountain  may 
bring  forth  but  a  mouse,  and  that  even  that  will  be 
a  long  while  in  coming  ;  for  I  find,  since  my  late 
sickness,  that  study  greatly  disagrees  with  my 
health." 

And  again,  in  a  subsequent  letter  : 

"  I  write  like  one  that  expected  to  live  to  finish 
what  I  have  begun  ;  but,  alas  !  how  uncertain  is  hu- 
man life  !  My  health  is  now  in  so  precarious  a  situ- 
ation, that  I  am  advised  to  abandon  study,  and 
betake  myself  to  physic  and  exercise.  What  will 
be  the  event  is  known  only  to  Him  who  superintends 
the  universe  ;  but,  if  I  should  not  live  to  perfect 
this  work,  my  collections  will  be  left  in  such  a  man- 
ner as  that  I  trust  they  will  not  be  lost  or  scattered  ; 
and  they  may  serve  as  a  help  to  some  other  person, 
better  qualified  for  such  an  undertaking." 

In  his  relation  of  events,  he  was  very  desirous  to 
avoid  that  partial  coloring  which  so  often  makes  a 
history  unfaithful,  and  took  great  pains  to  ascertain 
the  truth  for  himself,  that  the  work  might  be  original, 


128  LIFE   OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

and  not  too  dependent  on  previous  publications.  To 
form  a  correct  estimate  of  the  labor  of  such  an  un- 
dertaking, the  condition  of  the  country  must  be  con- 
sidered ;  —  without  any  written  history  of  authority  ; 
the  materials  to  be  gathered  from  manuscripts  scat- 
tered here  and  there  in  the  possession  of  individuals, 
or  from  the  lips  of  those  who  had  passed  through  the 
scenes  and  events  to  be  described  ;  and  the  troubles 
of  the  existing  war,  which  occupied  men's  minds  so 
entirely,  that  it  was  exceedingly  difficult  to  gain  at- 
tention for  any  literary  object.  Notwithstanding 
these  and  other  difficulties,  which  made  him  doubt  the 
possible  success  of  his  labors,  Mr.  Belknap,  encour- 
aged by  discerning  friends,  steadily  persevered. 

The  first  volume  was  published  in  1784,  at  Phila- 
delphia, under  the  superintendence  of  Ebenezer  Haz- 
ard, Esq.,  Postmaster-general,  and  compiler  of  the 
State  Papers  ;  a  collection  of  historical  documents, 
in  two  large  quarto  volumes,  which  he  labored  with 
unceasing  industry  to  complete  ;  contenting  himself, 
like  a  true  patriot,  with  the  humble  but  arduous 
task  of  a  compiler,  whose  work  should  form  a  foun- 
dation for  the  future  historian  of  his  country.  He 
was  the  most  constant  and  confidential  correspond- 
ent of  Mr.  Belknap,  and  executed  the  trust  re- 
posed in  him  with  the  fidelity  of  disinterested  friend- 
ship. 

The  second  and  third  volumes  were  published  in 
Boston,  in  1791  and  1792. 


THE    BEE  NEW    HAMPSHIRE. 

In  the  preface  to  the  third  volume,  the  author 

••  Twenty  years  have  n  since  this  work 

first   undertaken  ;    daring   which   time  it  has 

with  many  embarrassments,  and  has  more 

than   once  been  thrown  by  as  impracticable  :  but 

the  favorable  ir  has  met  with  from  the 

itinual  importunity  of  its  friends, 

have  prevailed  on  me  to  complete  ir  :  for  which  pur 

a  have  been  spared.     The  receipt  on 

the  sale  of  the  volumes  .  falls  short  of  the 

actual  expense  of  the  impression.     How  productive 

it  may  prove  in  future,  is  uncertain.     As  some  en- 

nent  to  the  work,  the  Legislature  of  New 

Hampshire    have    granted    fifty    pounds,  -which    I 

have   received,  and  for  which  they  again  have  my 

thanks.' * 

From  thi  pecuniary  reeom- 

r  continued  at  intervals  throng 
years,  was  little  or  nothing  ;  but  the  reputation  of 
the  work,  founded  on  its  impartiality  and  accuracy, 

the  sound  and  liberal  views  of  the  author.  Lai  - 
only  been  maintained,  but  increased;  and  that  writer 
who  ifi  -edly  the  most  philosophical  in  his  re- 

gies into  the  hi  n  of  our  coun- 

.     ' .  c-vpieville    (Democratie  en  Ameii 

Is:  vol.  note  F.  -0),  thus  £  it  : 

••  The  History  of  Xew  Hampshire,  by  Jeremy 
Belknap,  is  a  work  held  in  merited  estimation.  The 


130  LIFE    OF    DR.    BELKNAP. 

author  gives  extremely  precious  details  concerning 
the  political  and  religious  principles  of  the  Puritans  ; 
on  the  causes  of  their  emigration  and  their  laws. 
The  reader  of  Belknap  will  find  more  general 
ideas  and  more  strength  of  thought,  than  are  to  be 
met  with  in  other  American  historians,  even  to  the 
present  day." 

In  the  third  chapter  of  the  first  volume,  which  is 
especially  commended  by  De  Tocqueville,  are  the 
following  remarks,  concerning  the  civil  and  ecclesias- 
tical government  of  the  infant  Puritan  colony  : 

"  As  they  were  fond  of  imagining  a  near  resem- 
blance between  the  circumstances  of  their  settlement 
in  this  country  and  the  redemption  of  Israel  from 
Egypt  or  Babylon,  it  is  not  strange  that  they  should 
also  look  upon  their  i  commonwealth  as  an  institu- 
tion of  God  for  the  preservation  of  their  churches, 
and  the  civil  rulers  as  both  members  and  fathers  of 
them.'  The  famous  John  Cotton,  the  first  minister 
in  Boston,  was  the  chief  promoter  of  this  sentiment. 
When  he  arrived,  in  1633,  he  found  the  people  di- 
vided in  their  opinions.  Some  had  been  admitted  to 
the  privileges  of  freemen  at  the  first  General  Court, 
who  were  not  in  communion  with  the  churches  : 
after  this,  an  order  was  passed,  that  none  but  mem- 
bers of  the  churches  should  be  admitted  freemen ; 
whereby  all  other  persons  were  excluded  from  every 
office  or  privilege,  civil  or  military.  This  great  man 
by  his  eloquence  confirmed  those  who  had  embraced 


EXTRACTS    FROM    THE    HISTORY.  131 

this  opinion,  and  earnestly  pleaded  '  that  the  gov- 
ernment might  be  conducted  as  a  theocracy,  where- 
in the  Lord  was  judge,  lawgiver,  and  king  ;  that  the 
laws  which  he  gave  Israel  might  be  adopted,  so  far 
as  they  were  of  moral  and  perpetual  equity  ;  that 
the  people  might  be  considered  as  God's  people,  in 
covenant  with  him  ;  that  none  but  persons  of  ap- 
proved piety  and  eminent  gifts  should  be  chosen 
rulers  ;  that  the  ministers  should  be  consulted  in  all 
matters  of  religion ;  and  that  the  magistrate  should 
have  a  superintending  and  coercive  power  over  the 
churches.' 

"  At  the  desire  of  the  court,  he  compiled  a  sys- 
tem of  laws,  founded  chiefly  on  the  laws  of  Moses, 
which  was  considered  by  the  legislative  body  as  the 
general  standard  ;  though  they  never  formally 
adopted  it,  and,  in  some  instances,  varied  from  it. 

"  These  principles  were  fundamentally  the  same 
with  those  on  which  were  grounded  all  the  persecu- 
tions which  they  had  endured  in  England,  and  nat- 
urally led  to  the  same  extremes  of  conduct  which 
they  had  so  bitterly  complained  of  in  those  civil  and 
ecclesiastical  rulers,  from  wThose  tyranny  they  had 
fled  into  this  wilderness.  They  had  already  pro- 
ceeded a  step  farther  than  the  hierarchy  had  ever 
attempted.  No  test-laiv  had  as  yet  been  made  in 
England;  but  they  had,  at  one  blow,  cut  off  all 
but  those  of  their  own  communion  from  the  privileges 
of  civil  offices,  however  otherwise  qualified.     They 


182  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

thought,  that,  as  they  had  suffered  so  much  in  laying 
the  foundation  of  a  new  state,  which  was  supposed 
tu  be  i  a  model  of  the  glorious  kingdom  of  Christ 
on  earth,'  they  had  an  exclusive  right  to  all  the 
honors  and  privileges  of  it ;  and,  having  the  power 
in  their  hands,  they  effectually  established  their 
pretensions,  and  made  all  dissenters  and  disturbers 
feel  the  weight  of  their  indignation. 

"  In  consequence  of  the  union  thus  formed  between 
the  church  and  state,  on  the  plan  of  the  Jewish 
theocracy,  the  ministers  were  called  to  sit  in  council, 
and  give  their  advice  in  matters  of  religion  and 
cases  of  conscience  which  came  before  the  court ; 
and  without  them,  they  never  proceeded  to  any  act 
of  an  ecclesiastical  nature.  As  none  were  allowed 
to  vote  in  the  election  of  rulers  but  freemen,  and 
freemen  must  be  church  members  ;  and  as  none 
could  be  admitted  into  the  church  but  by  the  elders 
who  first  examined,  and  then  propounded  them  to 
the  brethren  for  their  vote,  the  clergy  acquired 
hereby  a  vast  ascendency  over  both  rulers  and  peo- 
ple, and  had,  in  effect,  the  keys  of  the  state  as  well 
as  the  church  in  their  hands.  The  magistrates,  on 
the  other  hand,  regulated  the  gathering  of  churches, 
interposed  in  the  settlement  and  dismission  of  minis- 
ters, arbitrated  in  ecclesiastical  controversies,  and 
controlled  synodical  assemblies.  This  coercive  pow- 
er in  the  magistrate  was  deemed  absolutely  necessa- 
ry, to  preserve  '  the  order  of  the  gospel.' 


EXTRACTS   FROM   THE   HISTORY.  133 

"  The  principle  on  which  this  power  is  grounded 
is  expressed  in  the  Cambridge  Platform,  in  terms  as 
soft  as  possible,  and  (like  divers  other  articles  in 
that  work)  is  curiously  and  artfully  drawn  up,  so 
that  there  is  an  appearance  of  liberty  and  tenderness, 
but  none  in  reality.  For,  although  the  magistrate 
was  not  to  restrain  any  good  works,  yet  he  was  to 
be  the  judge  of  the  good  or  evil  of  the  works  to  be 
restrained ;  and  what  security  could  churches  have 
that  they  should  not  be  restrained  in  the  perform- 
ance of  what  they  judged  to  be  good  works  ?  They 
might,  indeed,  think  themselves  safe,  whilst  their 
rulers  were  so  zealous  for  the  purity  of  the  churches 
of  which  themselves  were  members,  and  whilst 
their  ministers  were  consulted  in  all  ecclesiastical 
affairs ;  but  if  the  civil  powers  had  acted  without 
such  consultation,  or  if  the  ministers  had  been  in- 
duced to  yield  to  the  opinion  of  the  magistrates, 
when  contrary  to  the  interest  of  the  churches,  what 
then  would  have  become  of  religious  liberty  ?  " 

The  first  and  second  volumes  contain  the  history 
of  the  state  from  the  discovery  of  the  river  Piscat- 
aqua  to  the  adoption  of  the  Federal  Constitution ; 
and  the  third  consists  of  a  geographical  description 
of  Xew  Hampshire,  with  sketches  of  its  natural  his- 
tory, productions,  improvements,  and  present  state 
of  society,  laws  and  government ;  all  demanding 
different  researches  and  results,  many  of  which 
were  obtained  only  by  sending  circular  letters  to 


134  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

the  clergymen  and  other  principal  persons  in  each 
town  in  the  state,  requesting  communications  on  the 
various  subjects  of  inquiry. 

In  a  notice  of  the  work  by  the  London  Monthly 
Review  for  October,  1793,  the  hope  is  expressed 
that  a  general  account  of  the  country  may  be  un- 
dertaken ;  and  the  opinion  is  advanced,  that  in  such 
a  work  the  natural  history  of  the  several  states 
would  be  the  most  interesting  topic,  as  we  are  desti- 
tute of  antiquities,  and  the  histories  of  the  provinces 
will  combine  into  one  general  account  of  the  whole. 
Notwithstanding  this  opinion  of  the  English  Review- 
er, the  omission  of  the  third  volume,  in  the  edition 
issued  by  the  late  Dr.  Farmer  of  Concord,  since 
the  expiration  of  the  copyright,  has  mutilated  the 
work,  and  done  great  injustice  to  the  author.  The 
agreeable  style  in  which  the  descriptions  of  plants, 
animals,  &c,  are  given,  makes  it  by  no  means  the 
least  interesting  portion  of  the  history  ;  and  there 
are  many  observations  on  subjects  important  to  the 
welfare  of  the  state,  which  the  author,  undoubtedly, 
hoped  would  have  a  beneficial  effect  on  its  inhabi- 
tants. 

The  volume  closes  with  an  address  to  the  people 
of  New  Hampshire  ;  and  the  concluding  paragraph 
gives  the  author's  idea  of  a  happy  people.     He  says : 

"  Were  I  to  form  a  picture  of  happy  society,  it 
would  be  a  town  consisting  of  a  due  mixture  of  hills, 
valleys,  and   streams   of    water.      The  land   wrell 


EXTRACTS   FROM    THE   HISTORY.  135 

fenced  and  cultivated  ;  the  roads  and  bridges  in 
good  repair  ;  a  decent  inn  for  the  refreshment  of 
travellers,  and  for  public  entertainments.  The  in- 
habitants mostly  husbandmen ;  their  wives  and 
daughters  domestic  manufacturers ;  a  suitable  pro- 
portion of  handicraft  workmen,  and  two  or  three 
traders  ;  a  physician  and  lawyer,  each  of  whom 
should  have  a  farm  for  his  support.  A  clergyman, 
of  any  denomination  which  should  be  agreeable  to 
the  majority,  a  man  of  good  understanding,  of  a 
candid  disposition,  and  exemplary  morals ;  not  a 
metaphysical  nor  a  polemical,  but  a  serious  and  prac- 
tical, preacher.  A  schoolmaster,  who  should  un- 
derstand his  business,  and  teach  his  pupils  to  govern 
themselves.  A  social  library,  annually  increasing, 
and  under  good  regulation.  A  club  of  sensible  men, 
seeking  mutual  improvement.  A  decent  musical 
society.  No  intriguing  politician,  horse-jockey,  gam- 
bler, or  sot ;  but  all  such  characters  treated  with  con- 
tempt. Such  a  situation  may  be  considered  as  the 
most  favorable  to  social  happiness,  of  any  which 
this  world  can  afford." 

The  following  paragraph  shows  the  condition  of 
mineralogy  and  its  kindred  sciences  at  that  time, 
which  contrasts  strongly  with  their  present  and  con- 
stantly increasing  importance,  even  then  foreseen  by 
the  writer : 

"  Mineralogy  is  a  branch  of  science  which  is  but 
little  cultivated.     Men  of  genius  and  science  have 


186  LIFE   OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

not  leisure  to  pursue  objects  from  which  present  ad- 
vantages cannot  be  drawn.  The  disappointments 
which  have  attended  some  expensive  attempts,  the 
air  of  mystery  thrown  over  the  subject  by  ignorant 
pretenders,  and  the  facility  with  which  every  min- 
eral may  be  imported  from  abroad,  have  discouraged 
inquiries.  But,  from  the  specimens  which  have  ap- 
peared, there  can  be  no  doubt  of  the  existence  of 
mineral  and  fossil  treasures,  in  the  search  of  which, 
future  generations  will  find  employment." 

The  first  volume  of  the  History  was  sent  to  Gen- 
eral Washington,  in  July,  1784,  through  Mr.  Haz- 
ard ;  but,  by  some  delay,  did  not  reach  its 
destination  till  the  following  January,  wrhen  Mr. 
Hazard  says,  in  one  of  his  letters : 

"  General  Washington  has  received  your  History, 
and  sends  the  enclosed  acknowledgment  of  it,  which 
I  am  persuaded  you  will  consider  as  a  part  of  your 
valuables.  The  General  writes  me  about  it  as  fol- 
lows :  '  I  thank  you  for  your  attention  in  this  mat- 
ter, and  pray  you  to  be  at  the  trouble  of  forwarding 
the  enclosed  to  that  gentleman  (Mr.  Belknap),  for 
whose  pleasing  remembrance  of  me  I  feel  myself 
obliged.'  This  sentence  -from  Greneral  Washing- 
ton is  worth  more,  and  contains  more  honor,  than 
all  the  monumental  stones  erected  to  the  memory  of 
British  poets !  " 

The  following  letter,  to  which  Mr.  Hazard  en- 
closed the  reply,  was  sent  with  the  History  : 


CORRESPONDENCE  WITH  WASHINGTON.        137 

"  To  General  Washington  : 

"  Dover,  N.  H.  July  19th,  1784. 

"  Great  and  Good  Sir, 

"  After  the  multitude  of  addresses  which 
have  been  presented  to  you  in  the  course  and  at  the 
conclusion  of  the  late  war,  it  would  be  needless  for 
an  obscure  individual  to  repeat  the  voice  of  admira- 
tion and  gratitude  which  has  resounded  from  every 
part  of  America  for  the  eminent  services  which  you 
have  rendered  to  this  country.  It  shall  be  my  part, 
Sir,  to  ask  your  acceptance  of  the  first  volume  of  a 
work,  in  which  you  will  see  the  early  struggles  and 
sufferings  of  one  of  those  states  which  now  claim  the 
honor  of  being  defended  by  your  sword.  Though  in 
the  late  arduous  contest  it  has  not  been  so  much  ex- 
posed as  in  former  wars,  yet,  having  long  been  a 
nursery  of  stern  heroism,  it  has  bred  an  hardy  race 
of  men,  whose  merits  as  soldiers  are  well  known  to 
their  beloved  general,  and  who  will  always  glory  in 
having  assisted  to  plant  the  laurel  which  adorns  his 
brow. 

"  I  am,  Sir,  with  a  degree  of  respect  approaching 
to  veneration, 

"  Your  Excellency's  most  obedient  servant, 

"J.  B." 

';  Mount  Vernon,  5th  January,  1785. 

"Rev.  Sir, 

"  A  few  days  ago,  under  cover  from  Mr. 
Hazard,  of  Philadelphia,  I  was  honored  with  your 


138  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

favor  of  the  19th  of  July,  and  the  first  volume  of 
your  History  of  New  Hampshire. 

"  For  both,  I  pray  you  to  accept  my  thanks ; 
but  my  acknowledgments  are  more  particularly  due 
for  your  favorable  expression,  in  the  former,  of  my 
past  endeavors  to  support  the  cause  of  liberty. 

"  The  proof  you  have  given  of  your  approbation 
of  this  is  interesting :  I  receive  it  with  gratitude, 
and  am,  with  great  respect, 

"Reverend  Sir, 

"  Your  most  obedient,  humble  servant, 
"  Geo.  Washington. 
"  The  Rev.  Mr.  Belknap." 

The  church  in  Long  Lane,  now  Federal  Street, 
Boston,  was  originally  Presbyterian,  but  had  lately 
relinquished  this  form  of  government,  and  adopted 
the  Congregational  order.  The  founder  of  the 
society,  Rev.  John  Moorhead,  came  over  from 
Ireland  with  the  first  members,  who  were  mostly 
farmers,  in  the  year  1727,  to  escape  the  enormous 
rent  required  of  them  for  their  lands.  They  erected 
a  building  at  the  corner  of  Berry  Street  and  Long 
Lane,  in  1729.  It  was  a  low  wooden  building  of 
one  story ;  and,  when  the  church  was  rebuilt,  the 
original  house  was  moved  to  Cow  Lane,  now  High 
Street,  and  used  as  a  bakehouse  by  a  man  named 
Kettle. 


IS   INVITED   TO   BOSTON.  139 

The  society  increased,  and  the  pastor  was  much 
beloved ;  he  died  December  3d,  1774,  in  the  seven- 
tieth year  of  his  age.  The  history  of  the  church 
from  this  period  to  the  settlement  of  Rev.  Robert 
Annan,  remains  in  obscurity :  this  took  place  in 
1783,  and  in  1785  he  was  dismissed  by  the  pres- 
bytery at  his  own  request. 

The  invitation  to  Mr.  Belknap  was  resolved  upon 
at  a  meeting  of  the  proprietors,  and  others  of  the 
church,  January  28th,  1787,  and  is  as  follows : 

■  Boston,  January  30th,  1787. 

"Rev.  Sir, 

"  Our  manifest  wants  have  long  pointed  out 
to  us  the  necessity  we  are  in  of  a  gospel  minister. 
The  character  we  have  had  of  you,  and  our  own  good 
opinion  of  your  talents  and  ability,  have  induced  us 
to  come  to  a  serious  resolution  of  calling  and  inviting 
you  to  become  our  pastor,  which  we  now  do  in  the 
name  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  the 
great  Head  of  his  church,  and  on  the  behalf  of  our 
society. 

"  We  promise  to  love  and  obey  you  in  the  Lord, 
and  assure  you,  that  you  shall  be  as  honestly  wel- 
come to  us  in  all  well-timed  admonitions,  as  in  your 
administrations  of  comfort  and  consolation  to  our 
distresses. 

"  Suffer  us,  we  pray  you,  to  subjoin  the  obliga- 
tions which  we  have  laid  ourselves  under,  for  your 


140  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

comfortable  support,  so  long  as  the  Lord  shall  be 
pleased  to  continue  you  to  be  our  minister. 

"  We  are,  Sir,  with  love  and  esteem,  your  most 
obedient  and  humble  servants, 
"  Simon  Elliot, 
Eob.  McNeill, 
Robert  Wier, 
Jno.  Boies, 
Moses  Black, 
Archibald  McNeil, 
Thomas  Lamb, 


Proprietors' 
Committee" 


The  obligations  were,  "  to  pay  him  for  his  sup- 
port, from  the  time  he  commenced  his  charge,  the 
sum  of  two  pounds  eight  shillings  lawful  money  per 
week,  or  quarterly  if  he  chooses  it,  during  the  whole 
time  of  his  ministry  among  us  ;  and  in  case  our 
society  shall  increase,  and  the  pews  be  all  occupied, 
the  salary  shall  then  be  increased  to  a  comfortable 
support." 

This  invitation  wras  sent  to  Mr.  Belknap  on  the 
2d  of  February,  and  his  reply  is  dated, 

"Boston,  Feb.  7th,  1787. 

"  Gentlemen, 

"  Be  pleased  to  communicate  to  the  church 
and  congregation  whom  you  represent,  my  accept- 
ance of  the  invitation  which  they  have  given  me,  to 
take  the  pastoral  care  of  them  according  to  the 
Word  of  God. 


HE   ACCEPTS    THE   INVITATION.  141 

"  The  unanimity  which  you  have  discovered  in 
this  transaction,  and  the  affectionate  manner  in  which 
you  have  communicated  your  request,  indicate  such 
a  spirit  of  love  and  fidelity,  as  gives  me  the  surest 
pledge  of  peace  and  usefulness  among  you. 

"  Fully  convinced  of  the  truth  and  importance  of 
the  Christian  religion,  and  desirous  to  preach  to 
others  that  Gospel  by  which  I  hope  to  be  saved  my- 
self, I  ask  your  prayers  for  me,  and  shall  always 
depend  on  your  hearty  cooperation  with  me,  in 
my  endeavors  to  promote  the  cause  of  truth  and 
righteousness,  and  the  welfare  of  the  society. 

"  From  the  character  which  you  bear  among  your 
neighbors,  as  well  as  your  own  expressed  in  your 
votes,  I  have  full  reliance  on  your  sincere  intentions 
to  afford  me  that  comfortable  support  which  will  keep 
my  mind  free  from  embarrassment  with  regard  to  ex- 
ternals, and  enable  me  to  pursue  my  studies,  and 
attend  to  the  several  parts  of  my  ministerial  work, 
with  ease  and  cheerfulness. 

"  That  the  blessing  of  God  may  be  on  you  and 
your  families,  that  additions  may  be  made  to  your 
number  of  such  as  shall  be  saved,  and  that  you  may 
be  my  joy  and  crown  in  the  day  of  the  Lord,  is  the 
sincere  prayer  of, 

"  Your  affectionate  friend  and  servant 
in  the  gospel, 

"Jeremy  Belknap. 

"  To  the  Committee  of  the  Congregational  Society 


142  LIFE  OF  DR.    BELKNAP. 

in   Long  Lane,  to  be  communicated  to  the  said 
Society." 

The  installation  took  place  on  the  fourth  of  April. 
The  writer  of  a  sketch  of  Mr.  Belknap's  life  and 
character  makes  the  following  remark  on  this 
event : 

"  Nothing  could  have  been  more  agreeable  to  the 
ministers  and  people  of  other  churches,  and  to  all 
who  regarded  the  interests  of  the  University  of  Cam- 
bridge, with  which  he  became  officially  connected  ; 
being  fully  confident  that  he  would  be  a  great  in- 
strument in  promoting  the  cause  of  religion  and 
learning." 

Between  the  time  when  Mr.  Belknap  accepted 
the  call,  and  the  day  appointed  for  his  installation, 
some  person  who  was  apparently  annoyed  by  the 
change  in  the  church  government,  and  by  the  liberal 
views  of  the  chosen  pastor,  tried  to  persuade  the 
brethren  of  the  church,  that  he  was  a  Universalist 
and  a  follower  of  Murray  ;  and  to  this  end,  an  anony- 
mous letter  was  written  to  one  of  the  deacons,  an 
account  of  which,  and  the  proceedings  thereupon, 
Mr.  Belknap  has  left  recorded  in  the  following 
words : 

"  March  16th,  1787.  —  An  anonymous  letter  to 
Deacon  Wright,  intimating  that  their  pastor  elect  is 
a  Universalist,  wondering  that  they  should  choose 
such  a  man  as  much  as  if  Murray  himself  were 


AN    ANONYMOUS   LETTER.  143 

chosen ;  asking,  '  Is  there  not  a  man  of  discernment 
among  you  ? ' — advising  them  to  put  these  questions 
to  me  : 

"  Whether  I  believe  that  any  of  the  human  race 
will  be  miserable  in  a  future  state  ?  Whether  I  be- 
lieve that  the  punishment  of  the  wicked  will  be  of 
equal  duration  with  the  happiness  of  the  righteous, 
and  both  with  the  existence  of  God  ?  Whether  I 
believe  that  all  children  are  born  into  the  family  of 
Christ  ?  and  concluding  thus  :  '  If  he  answers  these 
questions  according  to  the  Calvinistic  scheme,  he  has 
lately  altered  his  sentiments.' 
"  Signed, 

"  Moorhead's  Ghost. 

"  Directed  to  the  once  Presbyterian  Society  in 
Boston. 

"  This  letter  was  shown  me  in  the  afternoon.  In 
the  evening,  the  committee  were  to  meet  in  order  to 
regulate  the  intended  instalment.  I  was  invited,  and 
met  with  them,  and  took  the  opportunity  to  tell  them 
that  such  a  letter  had  been  received. 

"  Who  the  writer  is,  and  what  his  design,  we  can 
but  conjecture,  and  that  must  be  left  to  future  inquir- 
ies ;  but,  as  to  the  matters  objected,  it  is  proper  I 
should  give  you  satisfaction.  I  am  not  fond  of  con- 
troversy, and  always  endeavored  to  avoid  it ;  but, 
when  any  proper  occasion  calls  for  a  declaration  of 
my  sentiments,  will  freely  do  it. 


144  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

u  My  practice  has  always  been  to  study  the  scrip- 
tures, in  order  to  find  out  truth  and  duty.  What 
there  appears  sufficient  evidence  for,  I  admit  as 
truth  :  where  the  evidence  is  not  sufficient  to  induce 
belief,  I  allow  myself  to  doubt.  This  every  man  has 
a  right  to  do. 

"  As  to  the  controversy  about  Murray,  I  never 
conversed  with  him  but  once  :  what  he  said  was 
new  and  strange.  On  examining  my  Bible,  I  saw  no 
reason  to  admit  it,  and  therefore  passed  it  by. 

a  Some  years  ago,  Murray  came  into  my  parish. 
Some  people  wished  to  hear  him,  and  asked  me  for 
the  liberty  of  the  pulpit.  I  said  it  was  mine 
when  I  wanted  it,  and  theirs  when  they  pleased  to 
use  it.  They  got  him  to  preach.  I  did  not  attend  ; 
but,  understanding  that  he  had  been  on  the  parable 
of  the  tares  and  wheat,  I  took  the  liberty,  which  I 
thought  it  was  my  duty,  to  preach  the  next  Sabbath 
against  what  I  deemed  the  errors  adopted  by  his 
followers.  (Here  I  read  the  sermon.)  These  were 
then  my  sentiments,  and  they  are  the  same  now. 
I  never  had  a  doubt,  that  faith,  repentance,  and 
holiness,  or  a  change  from  a  state  of  sin  to  newness 
of  life,  is  necessary  to  prepare  us  for  heaven. 

••  When  the  Chauncy  controversy  came  abroad, 
which  engaged  every  body's  attention  more  or  less, 
it  was  natural  for  me  to  incline  to  one  side  or  the 
other.  I  was  inclined  to  call  in  question  the  im- 
mortality of  the  wicked  in  a  state  of  future  punish- 


HIS    DOCTRINAL    VIEW  146 

merit,  though  I  had  no  doubt  of  the  certainty  of  the 
punishment.  There  are  difficulties  attending  the 
subject  on  every  side  in  which  it  can  be  viewed  ;  and 
after  much  thought  upon  the  matter,  I  am  inclined 
to  this  opinion,  that  the  revelation  which  God  has 
given  us  in  the  Scriptures  is  intended  to  regulate 
our  present  conduct  in  this  world,  and  to  give  us  to 
understand  what  will  be  the  consequences,  in  the 
future  state,  of  our  good  and  bad  behavior  here. 

"  I  believe  the  resurrection  of  the  just  and  the 
unjust  ;  that  the  life  which  the  just  shall  receive  from 
Christ,  at  their  resurrection,  will  be  immortal ;  and 
that  they  shall  never  die  any  more  ;  but  doubt 
whether  it  can  be  proved  from  the  Scriptures,  that 
the  life  which  the  wicked  shall  receive  at  their  resur- 
rection is  immortal  —  if  it  can,  it  will  follow,  that 
their  misery  will  never  end  ;  but  am  rather  inclined 
to  think,  that  the  life  which  they  will  then  receive 
will  be  a  mortal  life,  that  they  will  be  subject  to  a 
series  of  misery  and  torment,  which  will  terminate 
in  a  second  death.  Whether  this  second  death  is 
an  utter  extinction  of  being,  or  whether  they  will  be 
delivered  from  it  by  another  resurrection,  are  points 
which  I  cannot  determine,  nor  do  I  think  the  Scrip- 
tures afford  us  full  satisfaction  on  these  subjects  ;  so 
that  I  expect  no  full  solution  in  this  world,  and  am 
fully  contented  with  believing  that  the  surest  way 
for  us  is  to  believe  in  Christ,  to  fear  God,  and  work 
righteousness,  in  obedience  to  the  Gospel,  and  thus 
10 


146  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

secure  our  own  happiness,  without  prying  too  curi- 
ously into  the  secret  and  future  designs  of  God. 
The  apostles  themselves  declared,  '  We  know  but  in 
part,  and  we  prophesy  but  in  part.'  If  the  chosen 
and  inspired  ambassadors  of  Jesus  Christ  were  im- 
perfect in  their  knowledge,  how  can  we  expect  per- 
fection in  this  life  ? 

"  If,  upon  this  declaration  of  my  mind,  you  see 
fit  to  recommend  to  the  society  to  recall  the  invita- 
tion they  have  given  me  to  settle  with  you,  I  am 
content. 

"  The  committee  did  not  think  the  matters  in 
question  were  so  essential  as  to  suspend  their  pro- 
ceedings. Some  of  them  said  they  differed  from  me 
in  their  apprehension  of  these  points ;  but  as  we 
agreed  in  the  main  truths  of  Christianity,  faith, 
repentance,  and  holiness,  and  salvation  through 
Jesus  Christ,  there  was  no  need  of  further  debate  ; 
and  then  proceeded  to  make  preparation  for  my  in- 
stalment. 

"  The  names  of  the  committee  were  Robert  "Wier, 
William  Mackay,  Simon  Elliot,  Francis  Wright, 
Moses  Black." 

The  Boston  clergymen  at  that  time,  with  few  ex- 
ceptions, were  obliged,  by  the  inadequacy  of  their 
salaries,  to  resort  to  other  means  of  support  for  their 
families  ;  and,  for  this  object,  Mr.  Belknap  received 
at  his  house  a  few  young  men  to  instruct  in  higher 


HIS   POSITION   IN    BOSTON.  147 

branches  than  were  taught  in  the  public  schools. 
One  or  two  of  them,  whose  parents  resided  at  a  dis- 
tance, lived  in  his  family;  but  generally  they  were 
day  scholars.  He  was  a  constant  contributor  to  the 
Columbian  Magazine  ;  the  publication  of  the  first 
volume  of  his  History  had  been  rather  a  loss  to  him 
than  a  gain,  in  a  pecuniary  point  of  view ;  the  coun- 
try was  so  impoverished,  that,  as  one  of  his  friends 
said,  most  people  loved  money  much  better  than 
books  ;  many  subscribers  did  not  fulfil  their  agree- 
ments ;  some  of  the  shopkeepers  where  the  books 
were  deposited  for  sale,  failed  ;  and  a  needy  clergy- 
man, to  whom  he  had  entrusted  some,  wrote  him  as 
follows : 

"  I  have  sold  your  books,  and  got  the  money  ;  but 
I  can  't  spare  it !  "  So  that  the  satisfaction  of  hav- 
ing advanced  the  cause  of  literature  and  the  history 
of  his  country  was  the  most  solid  one  for  all  his 
labor. 

Notwithstanding  these  and  other  difficulties,  Mr. 
Belknap's  position,  as  a  Boston  clergyman,  was  much 
more  advantageous  for  himself  and  the  community, 
than  it  could  have  been,  had  he  remained  in  Dover. 
There  he  was  without  literary  associates  or  advan- 
tages, and  always  felt  himself  to  be  in  a  remote 
corner  of  the  world,  which  obliged  him  to  leave  to 
others  in  more  central  situations  the  execution  of 
plans  for  the  public  benefit,  in  which  he  took  the 
greatest  interest.     Boston  was  then,  as  it  is  now, 


148  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

highly  favored  in  literary  advantages.  Here  he 
was  surrounded  by  congenial  spirits,  and  found  am- 
ple room  for  the  exercise  of  his  active  mind  and 
benevolent  heart,  in  the  promotion  and  encourage- 
ment of  the  numerous  and  growing  schemes  for  the 
welfare  and  improvement  of  his  native  place. 

The  town  was  just  recovering  from  the  disastrous 
effects  of  the  Revolutionary  war,  and,  with  the  energy 
of  newly  restored  freedom  and  the  revival  of  com- 
mercial enterprise,  was  laying  the  foundation  of  its 
present  prosperity  :  but  the  ill  consequences  of  the 
past  disturbances  were  not  wanting.  Public  morality 
was  impaired  :  infidelity,  with  the  evils  of  which  it  is 
the  source,  was  widely  extended  ;  principles  were 
unsettled  ;  the  cause  of  education  languished  ;  and 
the  churches  not  only  felt  the  influence  of  all  these 
adverse  circumstances,  but  were  disturbed  by  contro- 
versies more  peculiarly  their  own.  The  difficulties 
of  a  minister's  position,  and  the  discouragements  and 
trials  he  was  called  to  encounter,  are  fairly  set 
forth  in  Mr.  Belknap's  sermon  before  the  Massa- 
chusetts Convention  of  Congregational  Ministers  in 
1796. 

Beside  the  occupations  mentioned  above,  he  was 
one  of  the  Overseers  of  Harvard  College,  and  one 
of  the  Library  committee,  a  member  of  the  Humane 
Society,  one  of  the  committee  for  visiting  the  public 
schools,  and  a  member  of  the  American  Academy 
of  Arts  and  Sciences  ;  he  had  been  for  some  years 


MINISTERIAL    DUTIES.  149 

an  honorary  member  of  the  Philosophical  Society  in 
Philadelphia.  He  not  only  nominally  belonged  to 
all  these  associations,  but  actually  labored  to  ad- 
vance their  objects  heartily  and  with  steady  and 
persevering  efforts. 

The  superintendence  of  the  public  schools  was  no 
slight  part  of  a  minister's  occupation.  The  selection 
of  books,  the  arrangement  and  supervision  of  stud- 
ies, and  the  periodical  examinations,  were  principally 
committed  to  the  clergy.  The  education  of  the 
young  was  a  favorite  object  with  Mr.  Belknap,  as  he 
duly  estimated  its  great  importance  to  the  welfare 
of  the  state ;  and  evidences  are  yet  remaining, 
among  his  papers,  of  the  zeal  with  which  he  per- 
formed these  duties.  He  took  much  pains  to  pro- 
cure the  publication  of  suitable  books  for  the  young ; 
and  his  services  in  their  cause  are  honorably  men- 
tioned in  the  various  notices  of  his  character  at  the 
time  of  his  decease,  and  remembered  by  some  now 
living,  who,  as  children,  were  won  by  the  kindness 
and  attraction  of  his  manner,  and  who  speak  of  him 
with  a  warmth  of  feeling  which  nothing  but  a  con- 
viction of  his  sympathy  and  love  for  them  could 
have  preserved  through  the  trials  and  changes  of 
so  many  intervening  years. 

As  an  overseer  of  the  college,  he  had  duties  to 
perform  which  were  indefinitely  extended  by  his 
filial  love  for  it,  and  his  pride  in  its  advancement. 
It  is  only  of  late  years  that  the  relations  of  the 


150 


LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 


overseers  to  the  college  have  been  almost  entirely 
nominal.  When  the  Board  was  composed  of  the 
Congregational  clergy  of  the  six  towns  nearest  to 
Cambridge,  a  continual  oversight  was  exercised  by 
its  members.  A  close  relation  was  maintained  be- 
tween its  head,  its  officers  and  the  clergy ;  and  the  ad- 
vice of  the  latter  was  constantly  sought,  not  only  in 
emergencies,  but  in  the  regulation  of  its  ordinary 
affairs.  That  Mr.  Belknap  lent  them  gladly  all  the 
aid  in  his  power  is  evident  from  the  frequency  of 
his  attendance  in  the  various  committees,  and  from 
the  careful  consideration  he  gave  to  various  plans 
for  the  improvement  of  the  college. 

Mr,  Belknap's  historical  pursuits  required  an  ex- 
tensive correspondence  :  and  his  desire  of  doing  good 
to  his  fellow-men  induced  him  to  cooperate  eagerly 
with  the  benevolent  and  philanthropic,  in  their  en- 
deavors to  lessen  the  burden  of  existing  evils,  or  to 
improve  the  condition  of  social  institutions.  The 
following  letter  from  Dr.  Rush  of  Philadelphia,  a 
zealous  philanthropist,  and  Mr.  Belknap's  reply, 
show  the  efforts  that  were  then  making  in  the  cause 
of  Temperance,  and  the  opinions  of  the  waiters  on 
several  other  important  subjects: 


"Philadelphia,  July  13th,  1789. 

"Dear  Sir, 

"  Mr.  Hall,  the  printer,  has  neglected  hith- 
erto to  republish  the  essay  upon  spirits,  probably 


CORRESPONDENCE   WITH   DR.    RUSH.  151 

from  an  opinion  that  it  was  less  necessary  than  for- 
merly. Much  less  rum  will  be  used  this  year  than 
last,  in  this  and  the  adjoining  states  of  New  Jersey, 
Delaware,  and  Maryland.  From  the  influence  of 
the  Quakers  and  Methodists  in  checking  this  evil,  I 
am  disposed  to  believe  that  the  business  must  be  ef- 
fected, finally,  by  religion  alone.  Human  reason 
has  been  employed  in  vain  ;  and  the  conduct  of  New 
England  in  Congress  has  furnished  us  with  a  melan- 
choly proof,  that  we  have  nothing  to  hope  from  the 
influence  of  law,  in  making  men  wTise  and  sober. 

"Let  these  considerations  lead  us  to  address  the 
heads  and  governing  bodies  of  all  the  churches  in 
America,  upon  the  subject.  I  have  borne  testimony 
(by  particular  desire),  at  a  Methodist  conference, 
against  the  use  of  a;dent  spirits,  and,  I  hope,  with 
effect.  I  have  likewise  written  to  the  Roman  Cath- 
olic Bishop,  Dr.  Carroll,  in  Maryland,  to  set  an  as- 
sociation on  foot  against  them  in  his  society.  I  have 
repeatedly  insisted  upon  a  testimony  being  published 
against  them  by  the  Presbyterian  Synod  of  this  city, 
and  have  suggested  to  our  good  Bishop,  Dr.  White, 
the  necessity  of  the  episcopal  church  not  standing 
neuter  in  this  interesting  business.  Go  thou,  my 
friend,  and  in  your  circle  of  influence  or  acquaint- 
ance '  do  likewise.' 

"  You  will  find  an  essay  upon  the  inutility  of  the 
Latin  and  Greek  languages,  in  the  last  number  of 
the  Museum,  which  has  been  ascribed  to  me.     I  wish 


152  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

it  could  be  republished  in  Boston.  It  has  some 
able  advocates  in  this  city,  particularly  Dr.  Frank- 
lin, Mr.  Clymer,  and  Mr.  Coxe.  ***** 

"  I  am  now  preparing  an  address,  to  be  delivered 
before  the  visiters  of  the  Young  Ladies'  Academy, 
in  this  city,  at  the  next  quarterly  examination, 
'  upon  the  necessity  and  advantages  of  teaching- 
children  to  read  by  means  of  the  Bible.'  I  consider 
this  as  a  matter  of  more  importance  in  the  world, 
than  keeping  up  a  regular  gospel  ministry  ;  and  yet, 
strange  to  tell !  there  are  religious  men,  and  even 
ministers  of  the  gospel,  who  disapprove  of  it.  The 
great  enemy  of  the  salvation  of  man,  in  my  opinion, 
never  invented  a  more  effectual  means  of  extirpating 
Christianity  from  the  w^orld,  than  by  persuading 
mankind  that  it  was  improper  to  read  the  Bible  at 
schools. 

"  The  more  I  attend  to  the  methods  in  which  ed- 
ucation is  conducted  in  our  country,  the  more  I  am 
disposed  to  suspect  that  our  schools  and  colleges  do 
more  harm  than  good,  to  the  interests  of  humanity, 
virtue,  and  religion.  What  are  Latin  and  Greek, 
and  mathematics  and  philosophy,  if  the}7  do  not  lead 
us  nearer  to  the  Parent  of  the  universe,  and  the 
Source  and  Centre  of  all  perfection  and  happiness  ? 
"  From,  Dear  Sir, 

"  Yours,  sincerely, 

"Benjn.  Rush." 


correspondence  with  dr.  rush.       153 
mr.  belknap's  reply. 

"  Boston,  July  29th,  1789. 

"My  Dear  Sir, 

"  The  originality  and  independence  of  sen- 
timent in  your  letters  and  other  writings  render 
them  exceedingly  grateful  to  me,  although  I  am 
obliged  sometimes  to  withhold  my  assent  to  what  you 
deliver  ;  but  when  your  thoughts  coincide  with  my 
own,  there  is  generated  a  double  satisfaction.  On 
the  several  subjects  touched  upon  in  your  last,  of 
the  13th  inst.,  I  could  wTrite  a  pamphlet,  if  it  were 
necessary  ;  they  having  been  frequently  the  theme 
of  my  contemplation. 

"  With  respect  to  spirituous  liquors,  I  believe 
some  good  has  been  done ;  but  much  more  remains 
to  be  done.  The  distilleries  here  are  so  ready  a 
source  of  gain,  that  till  the  auri  sacra  fames  shall 
cease  to  be  a  ruling  passion,  I  fear  there  will  be  no 
end  put  to  them :  however,  we  do  what  we  can  by 
way  of  precept  and  example,  and  we  do  not  intend 
to  be  discouraged.  The  demand  from  abroad,  I  am 
told,  increases,  particularly  from  the  north  of  Europe  ; 
and  while  the  stills  are  kept  going,  there  will  be  a 
large  home  consumption.  In  an  excursion  of  about 
eighty  miles  into  the  country,  a  few  weeks  since,  I 
met  many  loads  of  pot  and  pearl  ashes  coming 
down ;  and,  on  my  return,  the  teams  which  I  met 
were  loaded  with  dry  fish,  hogsheads  of  salt,  and 


154  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

barrels  of  rum.  The  thirst  for  spirits  in  the  back 
country  is  so  ardent,  that  in  the  fall  and  winter  they 
will  sell  their  wheat  for  this  sort  of  pay,  and  then, 
in  the  spring  and  summer  following,  go  forty  or  fifty 
miles  after  bread. 

"  What  you  say  on  the  use  of  the  Bible  in  schools 
agrees  perfectly  well  with  my  own  idea,  and,  i  strange 
to  tell,'  I  have  been  obliged  to  controvert  this  point 
with  men  who,  in  other  respects,  are  laudably  zeal- 
ous and  exemplary  in  the  cause  of  religion  and 
virtue. 

11  But,  my  dear  doctor,  why  banish  Latin  and 
Greek  ?  Was  not  the  New  Testament  written  in 
Greek  ?  and  may  not  the  Greek  and  Latin  Testa- 
ments, and  the  Selectee  e  Veteri,  &c,  lately  reprint- 
ed in  Philadelphia,  and  used  in  the  schools  there, 
have  as  happy  an  effect  in  impressing  the  minds  of 
youth  with  religious  sentiments,  as  the  English  Bi- 
ble ?  I  have  not  seen  what  you  refer  to  in  the 
Museum.  The  names  which  you  have  cited  as  '  able 
advocates '  for  the  disuse  of  Latin  and  Greek,  are 
truly  respectable ;  I  could  also  cite  some  very 
'  able  advocates '  for  the  disuse  of  the  Bible  in 
schools :  but  both  are  cases  which  require  to  be  de- 
cided by  their  own  merits,  and  not  by  the  respecta- 
bility of  advocates  ;  though  that  may  induce  a  more 
critical  examination  of  the  merits,  since  it  must  be 
presumed  that  such  gentlemen  would  not  patronize 
an  opinion  of  so  much  consequence,  without  very 


CORRESPONDENCE   WITH   DR.    RUSH.  155 

good  reasons.  I  can  conceive,  and  am  by  my  own 
experience  and  observation  persuaded,  that,  by  a 
judicious  attention  to  students  while  they  are  learn- 
ing the  Biblical  Greek  and  Latin,  there  may  arise 
such  a  variety  of  questions  and  observations,  as  may 
not  only  make  the  study  entertaining  but  instructive  ; 
and  that  they  may  by  gentle  degrees  be  led  into  an 
acquaintance  with,  and  veneration  for,  the  character 
and  work  of  our  blessed  Saviour,  at  the  same  time 
that  they  are  reciting  the  language  in  which  his 
evangelists  and  apostles  wrote,  or  into  which  their 
works  have  been  translated. 

"  That  schools  and  colleges  may  be  better  con- 
ducted than  at  present,  I  am  fully  persuaded.  It 
is,  however,  difficult,  and  in  some  cases  impractica- 
ble, to  alter  old  foundations  ;  but  were  I  to  be  con- 
sulted in  the  establishment  of  a  new  college,  I  should 
utterly  discard  the  residing  of  the  students  in  bar- 
racks, their  eating  in  common,  and  the  establishment 
of  academical  discipline  separate  from  municipal 
law.  I  would  have  students  reside  in  sober,  decent 
families,  and  be  under  the  same  government  with 
their  fellow-citizens.  At  stated  hours  they  should 
resort  to  the  public  rooms,  to  perform  their  exercises ; 
and  they  should  receive  the  honors  of  the  universi- 
ty when  they  are  qualified.  Are  not  your  universi- 
ties upon  some  such  plan  ?  Ours  partakes  too  much 
of  the  nature  of  a  monastic  institution,  and,  like  an 
antique  building,  needs  many  subsidiary  props  and 


156  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

additional  repairs.  However,  there  are  great  ad- 
vantages to  be  reaped  by  an  education  in  it,  pro- 
vided the  students  give  their  minds  to  their  business ; 
and  without  that,  no  means  will  be  effectual.  There 
is  a  special  injunction  laid  on  the  professors  to  take 
frequent  occasion  to  introduce  reflections  on  the  be- 
ing, perfections,  and  providence  of  the  Creator ; 
and  I  believe  this  injunction  is  strictly  attended  to, 
as  well  by  the  professor  of  natural  philosophy  as 
by  those  of  anatomy  and  botany :  and  these  occa- 
sions perpetually  occur,  for  — 

4  There 's  not  a  plant  or  flower  that  grows, 
But  makes  his  glories  known ; 
While  clouds  arise  and  tempests  blow 
By  order  from  his  throne/ 

"  The  main  business  of  all  philosophical  researches 
is  to  fix  our  attention  to  the  great  '  Cause  uncaused  ;' 
and  the  deeper  Ave  penetrate  the  arcana  of  nature, 
the  more  reason  do  we  find  for  wonder,  love,  and 
praise." 

At  the  Commencement  of  Harvard  College  this 
year,  1787,  John  Quincy  Adams  was  graduated. 
Mr.  Belknap  requested,  for  the  press,  a  copy  of  the 
oration  delivered  by  him  on  that  occasion.  The 
young  gentleman  expressed  himself  highly  honored 
by  the  request,  but  wished  that  his  piece  might  ap- 


CORRESPONDENCE    WITH   J.    Q.    ADAMS.        157 

pear  in  company  with  the  poem  of  his  friend,  Mr. 
Harris,  and  also  that  his  name  should  not  be  affixed 
to  it. 

Mr.  Harris  positively  refused  a  copy  of  his  verses, 
and  Mr.  Belknap  wrote  again  to  Mr.  Adams  on 
the  subject,  as  follows  : 

■  Boston,  August  3d,  1787. 

"Dear  Sir, 

"  I  have  perused  your  oration  with  a  repeti- 
tion of  the  pleasure  which  I  enjoyed  in  hearing  it, 
and  am  much  obliged  to  you  for  putting  it  into  my 
hands.  But  you  have  at  the  same  time  laid  me 
under  an  embarrassment  from  which  I  wish  to  be 
relieved.  ******** 

"  Nothing  is  more  amiable  in  a  young  gentleman 
of  acknowledged  genius,  than  modesty  ;  but  is  it  not 
an  attribute  of  that  wisdom  which  adorns  modesty, 
that  it  is   '  easy  to  be  entreated '  ? 

"  Why,  then,  should  the  refusal  of  Mr.  H.  influ- 
ence Mr.  A.  ?  Can  your  modesty  suffer  by  yielding 
to  a  proper  solicitation  ?      *         *         *  * 

"  And  why  should  the  name  be  suppressed  ?  —  a 
name  which  calls  up  every  grateful  and  affectionate 
feeling  in  the  breasts  of  Americans  ?  Without  the 
name,  your  Alma  Mater  will  be  deprived  of  half  the 
honor  which  she  deserves  ;  but,  if  that  be  added,  the 
friends  of  liberty  and  virtue  will  have  the  farther 
satisfaction  to  see  the  features  of  the  parent  in  the 


158  LIFE   OP   DR.    BELKNAP. 

sou  ;  and,  may  I  not  add,  your  country  will  have  a 
pledge  of  a  succession  of  abilities  in  the  same  fam- 
ily, still  to  aid  her  cause  and  espouse  her  interest. 

"  I  hope  that  further  consideration  will  induce 
you  to  take  off  the  embargo  you  have  laid  on  my 
wishes,  and  beg  you  would,  as  soon  as  possible,  let 
me  again  hear  from  you." 

Mr.  Adams  finally  left  the  matter  entirely  to  the 
discretion  of  Mr.  Belknap,  who  sent  the  Oration  to 
Philadelphia,  for  publication  in  the  Columbian  Mag- 
azine. It  appeared  in  the  number  for  September, 
1787;  and  the  author's  name  was  given.  The  sub- 
sequent history  of  Mr.  Adams  makes  it  interesting 
to  see  Mr.  Belknap's  early  appreciation  of  the  char- 
acter of  a  man  who  has  devoted  his  life  to  the 
service  of  his  country,  and  has  enjoyed  the  highest 
honors  and  offices  in  her  power  to  bestow. 


THE    SLAVE    TRADE.  159 


CHAPTER  VI. 

1788— x  792. 

Exertions  to  abolish  the  Slave  Trade. —  Three  Bills 
of  Sale,  and  Certificates  of  Manumission.  — • 
Letter  of  Cato  Baker.  —  Anecdote.  —  Corres- 
pondence tvith  Moses  Brown.  —  Correspondence 
with  David  Hoivell.  —  Adoption  of  Federal  Con- 
stitution. —  Visit  of  Washington  to  Boston.  — 
Death  of  Mr.  Belknap 's  son  Samuel.  —  Sermon 
at  the  Installation  of  Dr.  Morse.  —  Extracts 
from  Letters  of  John  Adams.  —  Degree  of  D.D. 
conferred  on  Mr.  Belknap.  —  Increase  of  Federal 
Street  Society.  —  Century  Discourse. 

Ix  the  month  of  February,  1788,  three  negroes 
were  decoyed  on  board  a  vessel  in  Boston  harbor, 
and  taken  to  the  Danish  island  of  St.  Bartholomew, 
where  they  vrere  offered  for  sale.  This  infamous 
transaction  excited  great  indignation  in  the  commu- 
nity ;  and  Mr.  Belknap  consulted  some  of  his  friends 
as  to  the  practicability  of  improving  this  feeling,  to 
effect  the  abolition  of  slavery  in  the  state.  His 
brother-in-law,  Mr.  Samuel  Eliot,  agreed  with  him 
that  the  time  was  most  opportune,  but  said  the  diffi- 
culty in  such  cases  was,  who  should  step  forward, — 
and  recommended  him  to  suggest  to  the  Association 


160  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

of  ministers,  at  their  next  meeting,  a  petition  to  the 
General  Court,  whose  session  was  then  about  to 
commence  ;  if  he  failed  to  gain  the  cooperation  of 
the  ministers,  to  apply  to  the  Humane  Society,  and 
at  all  events  to  have  a  petition  drafted. 

This  advice  Mr.  Belknap  complied  with  :  he  drew 
up  a  petition,  which  his  friends  pronounced  "  incapa- 
ble of  amendment,"  gained  the  support  of  the  associa- 
tion, and  of  a  large  number  of  citizens  beside.  The 
blacks  also  presented  a  petition,  written  by  Prince 
Hall,  one  of  their  number  ;  and  there  was  one  from 
the  Quakers,  presented  at  a  former  session,  lying 
on  the  table.  The  effect  of  this  movement,  so  judi- 
ciously timed,  was  the  passage  of  an  Act,  March 
26th,  1788,  "  to.  prevent  the  Slave  Trade,  and  for 
granting  relief  to  the  families  of  such  unhappy  per- 
sons as  may  be  kidnapped  or  decoyed  away  from 
this  commonwealth." 

Mr.  Belknap  had  long  been  a  friend  to  the  free- 
dom of  the  blacks.  He  had  published  essays  in 
their  favor ;  and,  during  the  revolutionary  war,  seve- 
ral of  them  deposited  with  him  the  bill  of  sale,  and 
certificate  of  manumission  which  they  had  gained  by 
three  years'  service  in  the  army. 

Three  of  these  still  remain  among  his  papers, 
and  they  are  given  here  as  specimens.  They  were 
enclosed  in  sealed  envelopes,  marked  as  belonging 
to  the  person  named  within. 


MANUMISSION    OF   SLAVES.  161 

"Newport,  Dec.  6th,  1773. 
"  I  do  hereby  acknowledge  to  have  received  of 
Mr.  Otis  Baker,  of  Dover,  in  New  Hampshire,  one 
thousand  four  hundred  pounds,  old  tenor,  in  full  for 
a  negro  boy  named  Cato,  whom  I  have  this  day  sold 
to  him  ;  which  negro  lad  to  him  the  said  Otis  Baker, 
and  his  assigns  for  ever,  I  hereby  promise  to  defend 
against  the  lawful  claims  of  all  persons  whatsoever. 
In  witness  whereof,  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand, 

"Hexry  Ward." 

"Dover,  June  4th,  1777. 

"  This  may  certify  all  persons,  that  I,  Otis  Baker, 
do  hereby  give  to  the  within-named  Cato  his  free- 
dom, and  discharge  him  from  my  service  and  the 
service  of  my  heirs  for  ever. 

"  Otis  Baker. 
"Witness,  Jeremy  Belknap." 

"  Know  all  men  by  these  presents,  that  I,  George 
Waldron,  of  Portsmouth,  in  the  province  of  Xew 
Hampshire,  yeoman,  for  and  in  consideration  of  six 
hundred  pounds,  old  tenor,  bills  of  public  credit  to 
me  in  hand  paid  by  Dudley  Watson,  of  Dover,  in 
said  province,  gentleman  ;  the  receipt  of  which  to 
full  contents  and  satisfaction,  I  hereby  acknowledge ; 
have  bargained  and  sold,  and  herewith  deliver  unto 
the  said  Dudley  Watson,  one  negro  servant  boy, 
about  eight  Years  of  age,  a  slave  born  in  Portsmouth 
11 


162  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

aforesaid,  to  serve  him  the  said  Dudley,  his  execu- 
tors, administrators,  and  assigns,  as  a  slave  for  and 
during  the  life  of  the  said  boy  named  Glouster.  To 
have  and  to  hold  the  said  negro  boy  named  Glouster 
to  him  the  said  Dudley  Watson,  his  executors,  ad- 
ministrators, and  assigns,,  as  a  slave  for  and  during 
the  life  of  the  negro  boy ;  and  I,  the  said  George 
"Waldron,  by  these  presents,  for  myself,  my  heirs, 
executors,  and  administrators,  do  covenant,  grant, 
and  engage  unto  and  with  the  said  Dudley  Watson, 
his  executors,  administrators,  and  assigns,  that  I  am 
the  true  and  lawful  owner  of  the  said  negro  boy, 
and  will  warrant  the  right  and  possession  of  the  said 
negro,  against  the  lawful  claims  of  all  persons  what- 
soever. —  Witness  my  hand  and  seal,  the  26th  day 
of  July,  1758. 

"  Geo.  Waldron. 
"  Witness  present, 

Thos.  W.  Waldron, 

Nathl.  Muchamore. 

"Dover,  June  4th,  1777. 

"  This  may  certify  all  persons,  that  I,  Thomas 
Watson,  as  administrator  to  the  estate  of  my  father, 
Dudley  Watson,  deceased,  do  hereby  give  the  within- 
named  Glouster  his  freedom,  and  discharge  him 
from  the  service  of  the  heirs  of  said  estate  for  ever. 

"Thomas  Watson. 

"  Witness,  Jeremy  Belknap." 


MANUMISSION    OF    SLAVES.  163 

"Dover,  July  ye  19th,  1756. 
"  Received  from  Mr.  James  Chesley,  six  hundred 
pounds  old  tenor,  in  full  for  one  negro  man-servant, 
named  Corradan,  aged  about  sixteen  years ;  which 
said  negro  I  have  sold  to  the  said  Chesley,  the  day 
and  year  above  written.  —  Witness  my  hand, 

11  William  Shackford. 
"Witness,  Jos.  Hanson, 

Ephm.  Hanson." 

"  Dover,  April  13th,  1778. 

"Received  of  the  within-named  Corydon  the  sum 
of  seventy-five  pounds  lawful  money,  for  which  he 
is  hereby  discharged  from  the  service  of  the  heirs 
of  the  within-named  James  Chesley,  and  is  now 
free. 

"  Otis  Baker,  one  of  the  Administrators, 

her 

"  Lydia  +  Chesley,  Administratrix." 
mark. 

The  certificates  of  manumission  are  all  in  the  hand- 
writing of  Mr.  Belknap. 

Cato  Baker,  the  first  of  the  above-named  negroes, 
had  received  some  education,  enough  to  enable  him 
to  write  letters  during  his  term  of  service  in  the 
army.  One  of  these,  addressed  to  Mr.  Belknap,  is 
quite  a  curiosity  in  orthography  and  expression,  and 
gives  an  interesting  glance  at  the  condition  of  the 
corps  to  which  he  belonged. 


164  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

"  Danbury  September  26th  1778. 

"  Mr.  Jaramiali  Balknap  j  have  met  with  this 
appettunity  Rite  to  you  and  your  famalay  wall  as 
thos  few  lin  have  left  me.  Sir  j  am  wall  in  good 
health  and  j  thank  God  for  it  of  his  good  will  he 
hath  been  my  Gard  in  all  those  Beatle  j  have  bein 
in  and  j  had  the  small  pox  in  V ally  forg  last  march 
24d  but  now  j  am  of  Good  health  but  now  at  this 
present  time  j  have  no  money  at  this  present  times 
but  j  shall  Draw  som  son  and  j  will  send  it  to  you  but 
j  have  Dron  som  mooney  and  j  let  it  Go  to  Ltunant 
Chas  and  to  on  anotheir  for  it  is  hard  tim  with  ous  in 
this  prasent  for  Cloathing  and  for  otheir  thing  me 
Drow  one  pound  of  beef  and  one  pound  of  bread 
and  one  jiel  of  Rum  Every  otheir  Day  but  our  duty  is 
not  so  hard  as  it  was  but  we  fair  hard  in  Clothing 
for  we  are  fost  to  pay  for  our  Clothin.  Whitch 
Doth  mak  me  think  it  hard  for  bein  that  j  Los  all 
my  Clothing  now  j  am  fost  to  pay  for  all. 

"Cato  Bacaker. 

To 

Mr.  Jermiah  Balknap 

att 

Dover  in 

Newhamshire." 

The  following  anecdote  connected  with  this  sub- 
ject, it  is  believed,  has  never  been  made  public.  In 
1790,  a  census  was  ordered  by  the  General  Govern- 


SLAVERY   IN   MASSACHUSETTS.  165 

ment  then  newly  established,  and  the  Marshal  of 
the  Massachusetts  district  had  the  care  of  making 
the  survey.  When  he  inquired  for  slaves,  most 
people  answered  none,  —  if  any  one  said  that  he 
had  one,  the  marshal  would  ask  him  whether  he 
meant  to  be  singular,  and  would  tell  him  that  no  other 
person  had  given  in  any.  The  answer  then  was,  "  If 
none  are  given  in,  I  will  not  be  singular  ;  "  and  thus 
the  list  was  completed  without  any  number  in  the 
column  for  slaves. 

Some  of  this  improvident  race  had  sagacity 
enough  to  refuse  the  offer  of  freedom,  and  remained 
under  the  master  they  had  served  in  their  youth, 
that  he  might  provide  for  and  protect  their  old 
age. 

After  the  publication  of  the  first  volume  of  his 
History,  in  wrhich  are  mentioned  the  early  prohibition 
of  slavery  by  the  first  settlers,  and  the  subsequent 
inconsistency  of  keeping  slaves  and  at  the  same  time 
struggling  for  our  own  liberty,  Mr.  Belknap  receiv- 
ed the  following  letter : 

"Providence,  28th  1st  Mo.,  1786. 

"  Respected  Friend, 

"From  observing  in  thy  History  of  New 
Hampshire,  an  account  of  a  negro's  being  ordered 
back  from  New  England  to  Africa,  that  was  unjustly 
brought  from  thence,  and  thy  remarks  thereon,  I 
conceive  thou  art  a  friend  to  the  liberty  of  that  op- 


166  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

pressed  people,  and  of  course  opposed  to  that  iniq- 
uitous trade  to  Africa  for  slaves,  which  remains  to 
be  carried  on  in  several  of  the  United  States,  to  the 
dishonor  of  the  whole,  and  the  Christian  name  in 
that  heathenish  country,  where  the  name  of  Christ- 
ian, from  the  abusive  treatment  of  those  people  by 
such  as  possess  it,  is  abhorred.  I  have  therefore  en- 
closed thee  three  pamphlets  on  that  subject,  which 
perhaps  may  not  all  of  them  have  reached  thee,  for 
thy  inspection  and  disposal  where  they  may  be  useful. 
I  should  rejoice  thou  hadst  as  a  historian  to  record, 
to  the  honor  of  any  of  the  states,  prohibitory  laws 
against  the  slave-trade  to  any  part  of  the  world. 
Though  a  stranger,  professing  myself  a  friend  to 
liberty  and  mankind,  however  differing  in  sentiments 
as  to  non-essentials,  I  have  taken  this  liberty,  and 
conclude  thy  friend, 

"  Moses  Brown." 

The  following  is  an  imperfect  copy  of  the  reply  to 
this  letter  : 

"  To  Mr.  Moses  Brown,  of  Providence. 

"  Dover,  July  15th,  1786. 

"  Worthy  Sir, 

"  Your  very  obliging  favor  of  the  28th  1st 
M°  came  to  my  hands  yesterday,  and  I  am  particu- 
larly grateful  to  you  for  the  pamphlets  inclosed. 
The  subject  of  them  has  long  lain  with  weight  upon 


CORRESPONDENCE  WITH  MOSES  BROWN.       167 

my  mind  ;  and  what  I  have  said  in  my  History 
which  you  so  kindly  notice,  is  but  a  small  specimen 
of  what  I  have  thought  and  written  on  the  subject. 
It  is  a  pleasing  circumstance  to  me,  that  so  many 
able  pens  are  employed,  and  so  many  pertinent  and 
weighty  arguments  are  used,  and  that  the  press  so 
frequently  teems  with  productions,  on  the  subject  of 
the  African  slavery.  '  The  words  of  the  wise  are 
as  goads  ;  \  and  Heaven  grant  that  these  goads  may 
wound  and  torment  the  consciences  of  all  the  abet- 
tors  of  slavery,  till  they  find  it  hard  to  '  kick  against 
the  pricks ' ! 

"  Great  changes  in  the  principles  and  habits  of 
mankind  must,  in  the  nature  of  things,  be  brought 
about  slowly  ;  but  nil  desperandum  I  Truth  is  great, 
and  will  prevail ;  and  all  lovers  of  truth,  liberty,  and 
religion,  must  unite  their  endeavors,  and  persevere  in 
them,  until  their  voice  shall  be  heard.  I  wish  your 
society  in  England  may  petition  and  remonstrate 
annually  to  the  parliament,  until  they  obtain  their 
desire.  Who  knows  but  in  time  there  may  be  such 
a  man  as  Joseph  of  Germany  on  the  throne  of  Brit- 
ain ;  or  such  a  man  as  Montesquieu  may  be  at 
the  head  of  her  councils  ?  Blessed  be  the  name  of 
Anthony  Benezet,  for  what  he  has  written  and  done 
toward  abolishing  the  trade  in  '  slaves  and  souls  of 
men  ; '  and  let  the  highest  praises  be  given  to  the 
memory  of  the  late  Dr.  Fothergill,  for  that  noble 
projection  of  sending  missionaries  into  Africa,  to 


168  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

persuade  the  negro  princes  to  employ  their  people 
in  cultivating  the  sugar  cane  in  their  country,  and 
instruct  them  in  the  work,  instead  of  selling  them  to 
foreigners  for  this  purpose.  Can  you  tell  me,  my 
dear  sir,  whether  this  proposal  is  likely  to  be 
executed  ? 

"  I  wish  with  you  that  it  may  be  in  the  power  of 
future  historians  to  record  laws  made  in  all  these 
states  for  the  abolishing  of  slavery.  But  quid  le- 
ges sine  moribus  vance  projiciunt?  I  wish  the  time 
may  come  when  the  owner  and  master  of  every  ves- 
sel employed  in  this  sanguinary  trade  shall  be  con- 
sidered as  a  felon  ;  as  guilty  of  a  cruel,  unprovoked, 
offensive  war  against  the  innocent,  and  punished  as 
a  murderer,  whom  vengeance  suffereth  not  to  live. 
But  until  this  desirable  change  can  be  effected,  I 
would  recommend  one  method  as  a  means  of  grad- 
ually extirpating  the  evil,  and  that  is,  making  it  a 
part  of  education  to  instil  into  the  minds  of  children 
the  principles  of  universal  liberty,  and  an  abhor- 
rence of  slavery.  If  the  Lacedemonians  taught 
their  children  to  abhor  drunkenness  by  showing 
them  a  drunken  man,  may  we  not  hope  that,  by  rep- 
resenting to  our  children  the  horrors  of  predatory 
quarrels  in  Africa,  the  loathsome,  dismal  condition 
of  a  ship  loaded  with  sick,  dying,  or  discontented 
and  mutinvin2:  slaves,  and  the  rigors  of  a  West  In- 
dia  plantation,  we  may  be  able  to  excite  in  their 
minds  such  an  abhorrence  of  this  diabolical  traffic  as 


CORRESPONDENCE    WITH    MOSES    BROWN.      169 

may  accompany  every  stage  of  their  improvement, 
and  every  sphere  in  which  they  may  act  in  future 
life  ?  And  who  knows  what  beneficial  consequences 
may  result  from  it  ?  It  should  be  a  frequent  sub- 
ject of  discourse  in  families,  a  theme  of  declamation 
in  schools  and  seminaries ;  and  it  is  no  matter  how 
numerous  are  the  publications  from  the  press  on  this 
subject. 

"  I  wish  you,  and  all  the  friends  of  peace  and 
liberty,  the  most  happy  success ;  and  if  you  can 
point  out  to  me  any  method  wherein  I  can  assist  in 
promoting  the  desirable  object  of  our  mutual  wishes, 
I  shall  be  glad  to  receive  your  communications  and 
commands." 

Mr.  Belknap  was  elected  a  member  of  the  society 
for  abolishing  the  slave-trade  in  Rhode  Island ;  and 
in  1790  he  received  a  letter  from  the  president  of 
the  society,  expressing  a  desire  that  a  similar  asso- 
ciation should  be  formed  in  Boston,  and.  that  Con- 
gress should  be  petitioned  on  the  subject.  His  reply 
shows  a  discernment  and  discretion  which  are  very 
important  in  the  treatment  of  this  delicate  question  : 

-  Boston,  June  14th,  1790. 

"  Sir, 

"  Sometime  ago  I  received  a  letter  from 
you,  expressing  a  desire  that  an  association  might 
be  formed  in  this  place,  for  the  abolition  of  slavery, 
and  to  petition  Congress  for  that  purpose. 


170  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

"  Having  taken  time  to  think  and  make  inquiry 
on  the  matter,  I  am  of  opinion  that  such  an  associ- 
ation is  entirely  needless  here,  as  we  have  no  slavery 
to  abolish ;  all  persons  who  can  claim  the  privilege 
of  being  descendants  of  Adam  being  declared  free 
by  our  constitution ;  and  I  sincerely  wish,  that 
the  multitudes  of  blacks  among  us  might  enjoy  the 
same  blessings  which  other  people  enjoy,  as  the  fruit 
of  their  liberty ;  but,  alas  !  many  of  them  are  in  a 
far  worse  condition  than  when  they  were  slaves,  be- 
ing incapable  of  providing  for  themselves  the  means 
of  subsistence. 

"  As  to  the  proposed  application  to  Congress,  if  any 
such  be  made,  it  can  be  considered  only  in  the  light 
of  an  admonition  to  them  to  do  the  duty  which  they 
are  bound  to  do  by  the  constitution.  I  very  much 
doubt  the  prudence  or  propriety  of  such  an  applicar 
tion  from  any  body  of  men  whatever,  unless  it 
should  appear  that  Congress  are  negligent  of  their 
duty.  Should  I  live  to  see  that  day,  I  hope  I  shall 
not  be  wanting  in  any  endeavors  which  may  be  in 
my  power  to  cooperate  with  my  fellow-citizens,  in 
advising  or  remonstrating,  as  there  maybe  occasion. 

"  I  am  sorry  that  I  am  obliged  to  differ  in  opinion 
from  you,  and  the  society  in  wThose  name  you  write. 
I  beg  you  to  accept  what  I  write  with  candor,  and 
I  am,  sir,  your  very  humble  servant, 

"Jeremy  Belknap. 
"  David  Howell,  Esq." 


WASHINGTON   VISITS    BOSTON.  171 

The  Federal  Constitution  was  adopted  by  Mas- 
sachusetts in  1788,  and  Mr.  Belknap  attended  the 
debates  of  the  convention,  and  kept  minutes  of 
the  proceedings ;  but  they  are  already  matter  of 
history.  The  inauguration  of  Washington,  as 
President  of  the  Federal  Union,  took  place  April 
30th,  1789  ;  and  in  October  he  visited  Boston,  and 
was  received  with  great  rejoicings.  Mr.  Belknap's 
interview  with  him  is  thus  noted  down  in  his 
almanac : 

"27th.  General  Washington  having  appointed 
this  day  for  the  clergy  of  this  town  to  wait  upon 
him,  we  went  at  ten  o'clock  to  his  lodgings,  and 
paid  him  our  respects. 

"  When  I  was  introduced  to  General  Washington, 
he  said  to  me, 

"  '  I  am  indebted  to  you,  sir,  for  the  History  of 
New  Hampshire,  and  it  gave  me  great  pleasure.'  " 

This  is  the  only  instance  that  appears  of  his  re- 
cording the  approbation  of  others,  and  it  shows  how 
highly  he  valued  these  few  and  simple  words  of 
courtesy  from  the  Father  of  his  country. 

In  the  spring  of  this  year,  Mr.  Belknap's  second 
son,  Samuel,  died,  an  account  of  which  was  written 
at  the  time  by  the  bereaved  parent,  as  follows : 

"  March  28th.  This  evening,  at  half  after  nine 
o'clock,  my  dear  son  Samuel  died,  aged  17  years 
and  three  months.  He  had  a  long  and  painful  ill- 
ness, which  he  bore  with  the  most  exemplary  pa- 


172  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

tience  ;  and  the  nearer  he  approached  towards  his 
end,  the  more  did  his  patience  shine.  He  had 
strong  exercises  of  mind  some  weeks  before  his 
death,  and  obtained  a  comfortable  hope  in  the  mer- 
cy of  God,  through  Jesus  Christ,  and  gave  us  very 
good  satisfaction  respecting  his  repentance  and 
faith  in  Christ  for  salvation.  His  senses  held  till  a 
few  minutes  before  he  expired.  I  asked  him  wheth- 
er he  could  commit  himself  into  the  hands  of  Christ ; 
he  answered  with  a  strong  and  lively  voice,  '  Yes.9 
I  asked  him  if  he  had  a  good  hope  of  the  mercy  of 
God  in  Christ ;  he  answered,  '  Yes.9  I  then  prayed 
with  him ;  this  was  about  half  an  hour  before  he 
died.  Blessed  be  God  for  the  consolation  we  have 
in  his  death !  He  was  a  faithful,  useful,  diligent, 
and  affectionate  child." 

On  the  30th  of  April,  1T89,  Mr.  Belknap 
preached  the  sermon  at  the  installation  of  Rev. 
Jedediah  Morse,  in  Charlestown,  from  this  text — 
1st  Peter,  v.  3:  "Neither  as  being  lords  over  God's 
heritage,  but  being  ensamples  to  the  flock."  This 
discourse  he  sent  to  the  Vice-President,  John  Ad- 
ams, who,  in  a  letter  thanking  him  for  the  attention, 
makes  the  following  observations : 

"  The  more  the  subject  is  considered,  the  sooner 
all  men  will  be  convinced,  that  human  passions  are 
all  insatiable ;  that,  instead  of  being  extinguished, 
moderated,  or  contented,  they  always  strengthen  by 
indulgence  and  gratification ;    and   therefore,  that 


LETTER   FROM   JOHN    ADAMS.  173 

the  only  security  against  them  is  in  checks,  whether 
in  civil  or  ecclesiastical  societies. 

"  This  is  no  more  true  with  regard  to  the  love  of 
power,  than  it  is  with  regard  to  the  love  of  riches, 
of  fame,  of  honor,  or  of  pleasure.  While  we  see 
and  acknowledge  it  to  be  the  constitution  of  our  na- 
ture ;  the  quality  to  which  we  owe  our  activity  and 
industry,  our  virtues  and  our  happiness  ;  we  ought, 
instead  of  quarrelling  with  it,  to  be  only  on  our 
guard  against  its  tendency  to  abuse  to  vice  and  mis- 
ery when  uncontrolled. 

"  I  thank  you,  sir,  for  giving  me  this  opportunity 
of  assuring  you  that  I  am,  with  great  esteem, 
"  Your  most  obedient  servant, 

"  John  Adams. 
"  The  Rev.  Mr.  Belknap." 


An  extract  from  another  letter  of  the  Vice-Pres- 
ident is  subjoined,  for  the  sake  of  the  anecdote  con- 
cerning Franklin,  which  it  contains. 

"After  the  loss  of  Canada,  the  vast  addition  to 
the  naval  power  and  commercial  advantages  of  Eng- 
land alarmed  the  French  very  much,  and  there  is 
no  doubt  that  the  thought  of  assisting  the  British 
Colonies  to  throw  off  the  yoke  occurred  to  them ; 
as  the  loss  of  America,  now  rankling  in  the  hearts 
and  tingling  in  the  veins  of  the  English  nation,  is 
every  day  suggesting  to  them  the  project  of  assist- 


17-i  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

ing  the  Spaniards  of  South  America  to  separate 
from  Spain. 

"  Monsieur  Le  Roy,  a  French  academician,  who 
had  been  acquainted  with  Dr.  Franklin  in  England, 
upon  introducing  him  at  Paris  to  some  members  of 
the  Academy  of  Sciences,  said : 

"  '  Voild  Monsieur  Frankland,  qui  est  de  ce  pays 
la  en  Amerique.  qui  nous  debarrassera  un  jour  de 
ces  Anglais.' 

"  This,  Le  Roy  told  me  in  presence  of  Dr.  Frank- 
lin, who  said  he  remembered  it  very  well.  This 
sentiment,  I  doubt  not,  had  its  influence  in  procur- 
ing Franklin  to  be  elected  a  member  of  that  acade- 
my. But  it  was  a  vague  though  general  presenti- 
ment, and  no  explicit  advances  were  ever  made  to 
him,  or  any  one  else,  by  the  French  court,  till  1775." 

At  the  Commencement  in  1792,  the  degree  of 
Doctor  of  Divinity  was  conferred  upon  Mr.  Belknap, 
by  Harvard  University.  This  honor  he  would 
have  modestly  declined,  and  was  about  to  write  a 
letter  to  the  corporation  of  the  College  for  that  pur- 
pose, but  was  prevented  by  his  friend,  Dr.  Clarke, 
who  entreated  him  not  to  affront  his  Alma  Mater  by 
refusing  the  honor  she  offered  for  his  acceptance. 

The  Society  in  Federal  Street  were  very  much 
attached  to  their  pastor,  and  additions  to  their  num- 
ber enabled  them  to  increase  his  salary  to  a  com- 
fortable support,  so  that  he  was  no  longer  obliged  to 
receive  scholars  ;  and  his  life,  after  his  removal  to 


COMMEMORATIVE    DISCOURSE.  175 

Boston,  was  in  every  respect  more  free  from  harass- 
ing care  and  anxiety  than  it  had  been  for  many 
years. 

On  the  23d  of  October,  1792,  Dr.  Belknap,  at 
the  request  of  the  Massachusetts  Historical  Society, 
delivered  a  centennial  discourse,  intended  to  com- 
memorate the  discovery  of  America  by  Christopher 
Columbus.  In  this  discourse,  after  giving  an  ac- 
count of  the  preparatory  steps,  and  the  final  discov- 
ery of  the  continent,  he  proceeds  to  consider  the 
effect  it  has  had  on  the  advancement  of  science,  and 
on  the  civil  and  religious  liberty  of  mankind.  Some 
considerable  extracts  are  given  from  this  portion  of 
the  discourse : 

"It  is  both  amusing  and  instructive  to  review  our 
former  notions  of  liberty,  both  civil  and  religious  ; 
and  to  see  what  imperfect  ideas  we  had  on  these  sub- 
jects, derived  by  tradition  from  our  European  ances- 
tors. Like  them,  we  boasted  of  English  liberty  ; 
as  if  Englishmen  had  some  exclusive  rights,  beyond 
any  other  people,  on  the  face  of  the  earth.  And 
what  was  English  liberty  ?  Its  origin  must  be 
sought  in  ancient  charters,  and  particularly  in  magna 
charta,  granted  by,  or  rather  forced  from,  one  of  the 
worst  princes  that  ever  disgraced  a  throne.  The 
liberties  of  Englishmen,  after  the  Norman  Conquest, 
were  the  grants  of  their  kings  ;  and  the  prerogative 
was  the  claim  of  those  kings  to  power  and  dominion 
supposed  to  be  founded  on  a  divine  right. 


176  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

"  In  the  early  stages  of  our  controversy,  we  had 
formed  an  idea  of  liberty,  as  an  inheritance,  de- 
scended to  us  from  our  ancestors,  who  were  English- 
men ;  some  of  whom,  when  they  quitted  England, 
had  received  of  the  then  reigning  prince,  charters 
under  the  great  seal ;  by  which  it  was  supposed 
that  their  privileges  were  confirmed  to  them  and 
their  posterity  ;  and  the  colonies  which  had  these 
charters  plumed  themselves  on  possessing  more  and 
greater  privileges  than  those  styled  royal  provinces, 
which  were  governed  by  temporary  commissions  from 
the  crown,  revocable  at  the  royal  pleasure. 

"  In  like  manner,  our  title  to  religious  freedom 
was  supposed  to  be  derived,  partly  from  the  same 
charters  and  commissions  ;  in  which,  liberty  of  con- 
science was  granted  by  the  king  to  such  of  his  sub- 
jects as  should  settle  in  the  plantations  ;  partly  from 
acts  of  toleration,  made  in  England,  and  construed 
to  extend  to  the  colonies ;  and  partly  from  our  own 
laws  made  to  favor  the  religious  opinions  and  prac- 
tices of  those  who  dissented  from  the  majority. 
Religious  liberty  was  not  placed  on  its  right  founda- 
tion, nor  derived  from  its  true  source.  The  world 
was. not  obliged  to  the  statesman  or  the  divine,  for 
the  first  acknowledgment  of  this  darling  right ;  but 
to  the  spirit  of  commerce,  and  to  the  interested  views 
of  the  merchant.  Religious  toleration  was  intro- 
duced into  the  European  countries  for  the  benefit  of 
trade.     When  the  merchants  of  Holland  struck  out 


COMMEMORATIVE   DISCOURSE.  177 

the  idea,  it  was  regarded  by  their  neighbors  with 
the  same  horror  as  a  pestilence.  It  was  imported 
into  England  with  William,  Prince  of  Orange,  under 
whose  patronage  it  was  formed  into  a  law  ;  but  it 
has  never  been  there  so  extensively  admitted,  as  to 
put  all  sects  and  parties  on  an  equal  footing. 

*  *       *       *        ***** 

"  But  though  imperfection  is  more  or  less  inter- 
woven with  all  human  constitutions,  yet  a  spirit  of 
improvement  is  evidently  pervading  this  country. 
Several  of  the  first  forms  of  government  which  were 
made  for  these  states  have  been  reviewed  and 
amended.  Religious  tests  have  been  gradually 
abolished  ;  and  our  national  form  of  government  is 
entirely  free  from  them.  It  leaves  religion  where 
all  civil  government  ought  to  leave  it,  —  to  the  con- 
sciences of  individuals,  under  the  control  of  the 
Supreme  Lord. 

*  ***        ***** 

"  From  our  example  of  a  government  founded  on 
the  principle  of  representation,  excluding  all  family 
pretensions  and  titles  of  nobility,  other  nations  are 
beginning  to  look  into  their  natural  and  original 
rights  as  men,  and  to  assert  and  maintain  them 
against  the  claims  of  despotism.  As  far  as  the 
present  struggle  in  Europe  against  civil  and  spirit- 
ual usurpation  is  conducted  on  virtuous  principles, 
we  cordially  wish  it  success.  But  have  we  not  rea- 
son to  fear  that  the  cause  of  liberty  may  be  injured 
12 


178  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKXAP. 

by  the  intemperate  zeal  of  its  friends,  as  much  as 
by  the  systematic  opposition  of  its  enemies  ?  If 
wisdom,  harmony,  and  fortitude  were  combined 
with  patriotism  on  the  side  of  liberty,  we  might  hope 
that  the  time  was  approaching,  when  an  hereditary 
right  to  govern  a  nation  would  appear  as  contempti- 
ble as  the  royal  touch  for  the  king's  evil,  and  when 
the  loftiest  prelates  of  Europe  would  find  themselves 
reduced  to  the  same  level  with  the  curate  of  a  par- 
ish. But  what  scenes  of  anarchy  and  distress  may 
take  place  before  these  desirable  events,  we  must 
wait  for  time  to  unfold. 

******** 

"  Let  us  now  turn  our  attention  to  another  sub- 
ject of  debate,  arising  from  the  knowledge  of  this 
continent.  If  the  Gospel  was  designed  for  an  uni- 
versal benefit  to  mankind,  why  was  it  not  brought 
by  the  apostles  to  America,  as  well  as  propagated 
in  the  several  regions  of  the  old  continent  ?  To  solve 
this  difficulty,  it  has  been  alleged,  that  America  was 
known  to  the  ancients,  and  that  it  was  enlightened 
by  the  personal  ministry  of  the  apostles.  With 
equal  propriety  it  might  be  solved,  by  denying  that 
America  was  at  that  time  inhabited  by  any  human 
being ;  and  it  might  not  be  impossible  to  maintain 
this  negative  position,  against  any  positive  proof 
which  can  be  adduced  to  the  contrary.  But  both 
are  attended  with  difficulties  which  require  more 
light  to  unravel,  than  has  yet  appeared.  If  America 


MMEMORATIVE    DISCOURSE.  179 

was  peopled  at  that  period,  perhaps  the  state  of  hu- 
man society  was  such,  that  the  wise  and  benevolent 
Author  of  Christianity  saw  no  prospect  of  success 
to  the  propagation  of  his  Gospel  here,  without  the 
intervention  of  more  and  greater  miracles  than 
were  consistent  with  divine  wisdom  or  the  nature  of 
man  to  permit. 

"  Nearly  akin  to  this,  is  another  difficulty.  The 
native  inhabitants  of  Peru,  for  some  centuries  be- 
fore the  Spanish  invasion,  are  represented  as  wor- 
shippers of  the  sun  ;  whose  universally  benignant 
influence  to  the  world  they  thought  themselves 
bound  to  imitate.  Accordingly  their  national  char- 
acter was  mild,  gentle,  and  humane.  They  made  no 
offensive  wars  ;  and  when  they  repelled  the  invasions 
of  their  savage  neighbors,  and  conquered  them,  it 
was  done  with  a  view  to  reduce  them  from  their 
native  ferocity,  under  the  government  of  rational 
and  social  principles  ;  and  to  incorporate  them  with 
themselves,  that  they  might  enjoy  the  benefits  of 
their  own  pacific  system.  Their  code  of  laws,  de- 
livered by  the  founder  of  their  empire,  was  a  work 
of  reason  and  benevolence,  and  bore  a  great  resem- 
blance to  the  divine  precepts  given  by  Moses,  and 
confirmed  by  Jesus  Christ.  In  short,  they  seem  to 
have  made  the  nearest  approach  to  the  system  of 
Christianity,  I  mean  the  moral  part  of  it,  of  any 
people  who  had  never  been  formally  instructed  in 
its  principles. 


180  THE    LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

"  It  would  seein,  then,  to  human  reason,  that  they 
were  fit  objects  for  an  apostolic  mission  ;  and  that, 
if  the  pure,  simple,  original  doctrine  of  the  gospel 
had  been  preached  to  them,  they  would  readily  have 
embraced  it. 

"  But  when  we  find  that  these  mild  and  peaceful 
people  were  invaded  by  avaricious  Spaniards,  under 
a  pretence  of  converting  them  to  the  catholic  faith  ; 
wThen,  instead  of  the  meek  and  humble  language  of 
a  primitive  evangelist,  we  see  a  bigoted  friar  gravely 
advancing  at  the  head  of  a  Spanish  army,  and,  in  a 
language  unknown  to  the  Peruvians,  declaring  that 
their  country  was  given  to  his  nation,  by  the  Pope 
of  Rome,  God's  only  vicar  on  earth,  and  command- 
ing them  to  receive  their  new  masters  on  pain  of 
death  ;  when  we  consider  this  parade  of  arrogant 
hypocrisy  as  the  signal  for  slaughter,  and  see  the 
innocent  victims  falling  by  the  sword  of  these  minis- 
ters of  destruction  ;  when  we  see  the  whole  nation 
vanquished,  disheartened,  and  either  murdered  or 
reduced  to  slavery,  by  their  savage  conquerors  ; 
when,  instead  of  the  worship  which  they  addressed 
to  the  luminary  of  Heaven,  and  which  needed  but 
one  step  more  to  conduct  them  to  the  knowledge  of 
its  invisible  Creator,  we  see  the  pomp  of  popish 
idolatry,  with  the  infernal  horrors  of  the  Inquisition, 
introduced  into  their  country  ;  our  astonishment  is 
excited  to  the  highest  degree,  and  we  can  only  ex- 


COMMEMORATIVE    DISCOURSE.  181 

claim,  '  Thy  judgments,  0  Lord,  are  a  great  deep  ! 
and  thy  ways  are  past  finding  out  ! ' 

"  It  would  give  me  the  greatest  pleasure,  if,  in 
concluding  this  discourse,  I  could  say  any  thing,  with 
respect  to  the  propagation  of  Christianity  among 
the  original  natives  of  America,  which  could  be  con- 
strued into  a  fulfilment  of  the  prediction  of  Daniel, 
concerning  the  progress  of  knowledge. 

"  Every  European  nation,  which  possesses  any  con- 
siderable share  of  the  continent,  has  made  this  de- 
sirable work  a  part  of  their  professed  design,  in 
planting  and  settling  the  country  ;  and  it  must  be 
acknowledged  that  some  very  zealous  and  well- 
meant  endeavors  have  been  made  by  men  who  had 
neither  wealth  nor  power  in  their  view ;  but  the 
success  has  not  been  answerable  to  the  goodness  of 
the  design,  nor  to  the  wishes  of  those  who  have  en- 
gaged in  it.  If  we  survey  the  whole  continent, 
from  the  first  discovery  of  America  to  the  present 
time,  the  number  of  converts  to  Christianity  among 
the  Indians  bears  but  a  small  proportion  to  those 
who  have  been  destroyed  either  by  war,  by  slavery, 
or  by  spirituous  liquors.  And,  with  respect  to  many 
of  those  wTho  have  been  called  converts,  it  may  justly 
be  inquired,  whether  any  thing  more  can  be  said  in 
favor  of  their  conversion,  than  that  they  have  ex- 
changed their  original  superstitions  for  others  more 
glittering  and  refined. 

"  If  the  truths  of  our  holy  religion  are  to  be  pro- 


182  LIFE   OF    DR.    BELKNAP. 

pagated  among  the  savages,  it  will  become  us  to 
consider,  whether  we  had  not  better  first  agree 
among  ourselves  what  these  truths  are.  For  wThilst 
they  see  diversities  of  opinion  among  us,  and  that 
some  of  the  more  zealous  advocates  of  particular 
tenets  are  endeavoring  to  instil  the  peculiarities  of 
their  respective  sects  among  them,  and  to  prejudice 
them  against  others  ;  the  native  sagacity  with  which 
these  people  are  endowed,  will  lead  them  to  avoid 
confounding  themselves  with  our  distinctions,  and  to 
retain  the  religion  of  their  ancestors,  till  they  can 
find  one  more  free  from  perplexity  than  Christ- 
ianity appears  by  the  diversity  of  our  opinions  con- 
cerning it. 

"  It  is  also  worthy  of  consideration,  whether  the 
vicious  lives  and  conduct  of  our  own  people,  and 
especially  those  on  the  frontiers,  with  whom  the 
Indians  are  most  acquainted,  be  not  a  great  obstruc- 
tion to  the  spreading  of  divine  knowledge  among 
them.  It  is  very  natural  to  estimate  the  goodness 
of  any  religion  by  the  influence  which  it  appears  to 
have  on  those  who  profess  it ;  and,  if  they  are  to  re- 
gard the  conduct  of  the  people  by  whom  they  have 
been  cheated,  robbed,  and  murdered,  as  a  specimen 
of  the  influence  of  Christianity  on  the  human  mind, 
it  would  be  a  greater  wonder  that  they  should  em- 
brace it  than  reject  it. 

"  If  the  Christian  religion  is  to  be  propagated, 
without  the  assistance  of  miracles,  among  the  savages 


COMMEMORATIVE    DISCOURSE.  183 

of  this  continent,  it  must  be  in  some  such  manner  as 
the  Moravians  have  attempted.  These  people  seem 
to  have  an  art  of  attaching  savage  nations  to  their 
faitli  and  manners,  and  of  forming  them  into  civil- 
ized and  laborious  society,  beyond  any  other  denomi- 
nation of  Christians  ;  and,  for  the  honor  of  the 
common  cause,  I  cannot  but  wish  them  all  that  sup- 
port and  encouragement  which  their  zealous  and 
benevolent  efforts  deserve. 

"  It  is  much  to  be  wished,  that  the  spirit  of  bigotry 
and  the  shibboleth  of  party  were  totally  abolished  ; 
that  the  Christian  religion  may  appear  in  its  native 
simplicity  and  purity ;  and  that  the  professors  of  it 
would  distinguish  themselves  by  that  love,  that  meek- 
ness and  gentleness,  which  marked  the  character 
of  its  author  and  his  primitive  followers.  By  these 
marks  all  men  will  know  us  to  be  his  disciples ; 
our  light  will  so  shine  before  men,  that  they  will  see 
our  good  works,  and  glorify  our  Father  who  is  in 
heaven." 


184  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

1791—1797. 

Historical  Society  of  Massachusetts.  —  Correspond- 
ence tvith  Governor  Wentworth. —  Ante-Colum- 
bian Discovery  of  America. —  Third  Volume  of 
the  History  published.  —  Attempt  to  reprint  it  in 
a  Newspaper  prevented.  —  The  Foresters  pub- 
lished.—  Extract  from  the  Foresters. 

The  history  of  New  England  has  always  been 
identified  with  that  of  its  churches,  and  its  minis- 
ters have  been  also  its  annalists  and  historians.  It 
is  mainly  for  his  successful  labors  in  this  department 
of  literature,  that  Dr.  Belknap  is  entitled  to  grate- 
ful remembrance.  Others  had  collected  documents 
and  materials  for  history  from  garrets  and  private 
repositories  ;  among  whom  the  principal  were,  Hub- 
bard of  Ipswich,  Prince  of  Boston,  and  also  Gov- 
ernor Hutchinson  ;  but  neither  of  these  had  formed 
the  design  of  a  society,  of  united  efforts,  or  (if  we 
except  Prince's  collection  in  the  steeple  of  Old 
South  Church,  part  of  which  was  destroyed  by  the 
British  invaders),  of  a  public  place  of  deposit  for 
the  preservation  of  those  frail  materials,  which  with- 
out such  means  are  scattered  and  lost  before  their 
true  value  becomes  known. 


MASSACHUSETTS   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY.       185 

The  Massachusetts  Historical  Society,  instituted 
in  1791,  owes  its  existence  in  the  first  place,  un- 
doubtedly, to  Dr.  Belknap.  His  historical  research- 
es had  convinced  him  of  the  importance  of  such  an 
institution,  for  the  collection,  preservation,  and  mul- 
tiplication of  important  papers  ;  and  the  first  plan  of 
it  is  contained  in  the  following  sketch,  found  among 
his  papers,  and  marked  "  Plan  of  an  Antiquarian 
Society,  Aug.  1790." 

"  A  society  to  be  formed,  consisting  of  not  more 
than  seven  at  first,  for  the  purpose  of  collecting, 
preserving,  and  communicating  the  Antiquities  of 
America. 

"  Admissions  to  be  made  in  such  manner  as  the 
associated  shall  judge  proper.  The  number  of  mem- 
bers to  be  limited. 

"A  President,  Recording  and  Corresponding 
Secretary,  Treasurer,  Librarian,  and  Cabinet-keeper 
to  be  appointed. 

"  Each  member  to  pay- at  his  admission,  and 

yearly.     This  and  other  money  to  be  applied 

to  promoting  the  objects  of  the  society. 

"  Each  member,  on  his  admission,  shall  engage  to 
use  his  utmost  endeavors  to  collect  and  communicate 
to  the  society,  manuscripts,  printed  books  and 
pamphlets,  historical  facts,  biographical  anecdotes, 
observations  in  natural  history,  specimens  of  natural 
and   artificial   curiosities,   and   any  other   matters 


186  LIFE   OF  DR.    BELKNAP. 

which  may  elucidate  the  natural  and  political  history 
of  America,  from  the  earliest  times  to  the  present 
day,  and  — 

"  All  communications  which  are  thought  worthy 
of  being  preserved  shall  be  entered  at  large  in  the 
books  of  the  society,  with  an  index,  and  the  origi- 
nals kept  on  file. 

"  Letters  shall  be  written  to  gentlemen  in  each 
of  the  United  States,  requesting  them  to  form  sim- 
ilar societies  ;  and  a  correspondence  shall  be  kept 
up  between  them  for  the  purpose  of  communicating 
discoveries  to  each  other. 

"  Each  society  through  the  United  States  shall 
be  desired  from  time  to  time  to  publish  such  of 
their  communications  as  they  may  judge  proper ; 
and  all  publications  shall  be  made  on  paper,  and  in 
pages  of  the  same  size,  that  they  may  be  bound  to- 
gether, and  each  society  so  publishing  shall  be  de- 
sired to  send  gratuitously  to  each  of  the  other 
societies  one  dozen  copies  at  least  of  each  publica- 
tion. 

"  Quarterly  meetings  to  be  held,  for  the  purpose 
of  communicating ;  and  in  this  State  the  quarterly 
meetings  shall  be  held  on  the  days  next  following 
those  appointed  for  the  meetings  of  the  American 
Academy  of  Arts  and  Sciences. 

"  When  the  society's  funds  can  afford  it,  salaries 
shall  be  granted  to  the  secretaries  and  other  officers. 


MASSACHUSETTS   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY.       187 

"  Persons  to  compose  the  first  meeting : 
Wm.  Tudor,  Esq.,  James  Wixthrop,  Esq., 

Rev.  John  Eliot,  Jere.  Belkxap." 

Rev.  Peter  Thacher, 

To  the  gentlemen  here  mentioned  were  added  five 
others  ;  and  their  first  publications  were  made  in  the 
Apollo  for  1792,  a  weekly  paper  printed  by  Belknap 
and  Young.  The  former  was  Dr.  Belknap's  eldest 
son,  then  in  business  for  himself. 

In  179-1  the  society  was  Incorporated  by  the  name 
of  the  Massachusetts  Historical  Society :  the  num- 
ber of  members  at  this  time  was  twenty-nine.  The 
first  president  was  Hon.  James  Sullivan ;  the  Rev. 
James  Freeman  was  the  recording,  and  Dr.  Belknap 
the  corresponding  secretary.  The  library  and  mu- 
seum were  deposited  in  an  apartment  in  Faneuil 
Hall,  and  were  removed  subsequently  to  an  upper 
chamber  over  the  Boston  Library,  in  Franklin  Place, 
which  was  presented  to  the  society  by  the  proprie- 
tors of  the  building. 

The  usefulness  of  the  library  was  not  limited  to 
such  narrow  bounds  as  that  of  Prince  had  been  by 
the  terms  of  his  will,  in  which  he  desires,  in  order 
that  the  collection  may  be  kept  entire,  "  that  no 
person  shall  borrow  any  book  or  paper  therefrom." 
This  Dr.  Belknap  called  imprisoning  the  books,  and 
considered  it  a  great  hindrance  to  the  benefit  of  the 
donation,  a  valuable  part  of  which  has  since  been 


188  LIFE   OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

released,  and,  in  the  possession  of  the  Historical 
Society,  is  subject  to  their  more  liberal  regulations. 

In  an  account  of  the  society  contained  in  an  early 
volume  of  their  collections,  they  express  a  desire  for 
the  increase  of  the  library  and  museum,  and  add  as 
an  inducement,  M  All  benefactions  will  be  thankfully 
acknowledged,  and  the  names  of  the  donors  pub- 
lished ; "  which  at  the  time  had  a  good  effect. 

According  to  the  plan  of  the  sketch  quoted 
above,  there  are  now  similar  societies  in  fourteen 
other  states,  as  follow  : 

Maine,  Maryland, 

Xew  Hampshire,  Virginia, 

Vermont,  North  Carolina, 

Rhode  Island,  South  Carolina, 

Connecticut,  Georgia, 

Xew  York,  Ohio, 

Pennsylvania,  Kentucky. 

Some  of  the  original  materials  collected  by  Dr. 
Belknap  for  the  society  have  been  lost ;  but  enough 
remain  to  identify  him  with  its  promising  begin- 
nings, and  to  indicate  that  he  put  it  in  a  right  course 
for  the  successful  pursuit  of  its  objects.  He  was  a 
constant  attendant  at  its  meetings.  He  began  and 
pursued  an  extensive  correspondence  over  the  coun- 
try, to  enlist  help  in  its  designs  ;  and  he  contributed 
the  results  of  his  own  investigations,  not  only  to  the 
published  volumes  and  the  cabinet  of  the  society, 


CORRESPONDENCE  WITH  GOV.  WEXTWORTH.    189 

but  also  to  the  more  widely  circulated  papers  and 
pamphlets  of  the  day. 

Before  completing  the  second  volume  of  his  His- 
tory, Dr.  Belknap  wrote  to  Governor  Wentworth, 
then  residing  in  Halifax,  for  some  further  informa- 
tion concerning  his  administration.  This  letter,  the 
Governor's  reply,  and  their  subsequent  correspond- 
ence, give  a  pleasing  view  of  the  character  of  a 
man  who  was  forced,  by  causes  beyond  his  control, 
to  relinquish  the  government  of  New  Hampshire, 
which  he  administered  with  integrity,  and  to  the  gen- 
eral satisfaction  of  the  inhabitants. 

"Boston,  March  21st,  1791. 

"Dear  Sir, 

"I  have  written  you  several  letters,  both 
while  you  was  in  England  and  since  you  have  been 
in  Nova  Scotia,  but  never  had  the  pleasure  of  a 
line  in  return. 

"  When  the  first  volume  of  the  History  of  New 
Hampshire  was  printed,  I  gave  one  to  Mr.  John 
Pierce,  to  be  sent  to  you.  I  have  also  delivered  to 
him  several  of  your  books,  which  I  borrowed  out  of 
the  library  at  Wolfboro'  before  it  went  to  wreck  with 
your  other  property,  in  our  late  tumults. 

"  In  the  list  of  subscribers  for  my  second  and  third 
volumes,  I  observe  with  pleasure  your  signature. 
This  encourages  me  to  hope,  that,  as  you  formerly 
patronized  the  work,  you  will  not  take  it  amiss  that 


190  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

I  should  apply  to  you  for  some  assistance.  I  have 
endeavored  to  explore  every  fountain  of  intelligence 
that  is  accessible,  and  have  succeeded  in  some  in- 
stances beyond  my  expectation  ;  nor  would  I  leave 
any  method  unattempted  by  which  it  is  possible  for 
me  to  obtain  as  complete  a  knowledge  as  possible  of 
the  persons  and  things  concerning  which  I  write. 

"  For  that  part  of  the  history  of  which  you  may 
say,  wTith  the  ancient  hero  of  Troy,  '  quorum  pars 
magnafuij  I  am  furnished  with  *  *  *  * 
With  these  and  what  I  shall  collect  from  the  public 
records  in  New  Hampshire,  whither  I  am  now  going 
to  complete  my  compilation,  and  what  I  have  min- 
uted and  remember  of  the  transactions  of  that  pe- 
riod, I  shall  form  the  chapter  of  your  administration. 
But  I  do  most  sincerely  wish  that  I  could  converse 
with  you  on  some  of  these  various  topics,  because  it 
is  my  intention  and  desire  to  give  as  candid  an  ac- 
count of  things  as  is  consistent  with  truth. 

"It  is  true  I  always  was,  and  shall  appear  in 
this  work  to  be,  an  advocate  for  the  American  side 
of  the  question,  which  was  so  long  in  debate  with 
Great  Britain,  and  which  is  now  determined  by  the 
Supreme  Arbiter.  But  there  were  some  things  done 
by  my  countrymen  which  I  did  not  approve  at  the 
time,  nor  has  the  length  of  time  which  has  elapsed 
altered  my  opinion.  One  of  these  was  the  havoc  of 
private  property  made  by  confiscations.  On  this 
and  some  other  circumstances  I  could  enlarge,  but 


CORRESPONDENCE  WITH  GOV.  WENTWORTH.     191 

shall  say  no  more  than  what  is  necessary  to  give  a 

just  idea  of  the  subject. 

********* 

"  If  there  are  any  other  matters  which,  in  your 
judgment,  I  ought  to  be  acquainted  with,  and  which 
I  shall  not  be  able  to  obtain  without  your  assistance, 
will  you  be  so  good  as  to  mention  them  to  me  ?  I 
shall  receive  such  communication  as  a  particular 
favor. 

"  Our  government  appears  at  last  to  be  happily 
settled,  and  every  friend  to  virtue  and  good  order 
must  wish  it  permanency.  I  hope  that  twenty-five 
years  of  controversy  and  revolution  will  be  sufficient 
for  the  space  of  time  which  I  have  to  exist  on 
this  globe.  "Were  I  to  live  to  the  age  of  Methuse- 
lah, I  should  not  wish  to  see  another  such  period. 

"  The  publication  of  my  work  is  unavoidably  de- 
layed by  the  severity  of  the  weather,  which  has 
made  it  impossible  to  procure  the  paper  till  spring. 
It  is  now  making  in  Pennsylvania,  and  I  have  the 
prospect  of  receiving  it  in  the  course  of  next  month. 
You  need  not,  therefore,  fear  that  your  communica- 
tions will  be  too  late  if  they  come  by  the  end  of 
May,  or  beginning  of  June. 

"  I  am,  dear  sir,  with  equal  respect  and  affection 
as  in  1773, 

"  Your  obliged  friend  and  servant, 

"J.  B. 
"  To  Gov.  Wentworth,  at  Halifax." 


192  LIFE   OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

GOVERNOR   WENT  WORTH'S    REPLY. 

"  Friar  Lawrence's  Cell, 

':  Near  Halifax,  May  15th,  1791. 

"  My  Dear  Sir, 

"  It  is  a  long  time  since  I  have  received 
such  sincere  pleasure  as  your  letter  of  the  21st 
March  has  given  me  ;  and  I  should  have  acknowl- 
edged it  by  the  Alligator  frigate,  but  she  sailed  so 
suddenly  that  there  was  not  time  to  send  to  me 
here  (about  six  miles  from  town)  and  return  before 
she  got  away.  Some  of  the  letters  you  mention  to 
have  wrote  to  me  I  have  answered,  particularly  those 
I  received  in  England,  and  I  think  once  from  this 
country ,  but  conveyances  in  our  small  coasters  are 
very  uncertain ;  the  skippers  are  generally  illiterate, 
and  do  not  think  of  any  thing  which  does  not  imme- 
diately concern  their  cargo.  By  this  means  corres- 
pondence has  hitherto  been  much  obstructed. 

"  The  books  returned  to  Mr.  Pierce  arrived  safe 
during  my  absence  into  the  woods,  on  my  public 
duty,  which  has  hitherto  generally  taken  from  five 
to  six  months  in  every  year,  and  I  find  has  loaded 
my  constitution  with  rheumatic  complaints,  but  am 
in  hopes  rest  and  a  more  comfortable  regimen  will 
restore  me.  These  I  hope  to  enjoy  this  year,  being 
about  to  sail  for  England  on  business  that  may  de- 
tain me  six  months  from  this  country.  There  and 
everywhere  else,  I  shall  rejoice  to  render  you  every 


CORRESPONDENCE  WITH  GOV.  WBNTWORTH.     I 

agreeable  service  in  my  power  ;  for  although  my 
letters  have  not  reached  you,  and  I  have  not  done 
my  heart  justice  in  writing  more  frequently,  yet  be 
assured,  I  have  not  known  the  least  diminution  of 
friendship  and  affectionate  regard  toward  you  ;  I 
accordingly  was  much  pleased  on  hearing  you  were 
continuing  the  History  of  Xew  Hampshire,  having 
received  so  much  satisfaction  from  the  first  volume, 
and  being  myself  more  interested  in  the  two  next. 

"  I  herewith  send  you  the  papers  you  desire,  as 
far  as  I  can  find  them.  Most  of  my  papers  were 
destroyed  during  the  late  tumults  ;  both  public  and 
private  were  at  several  times  burned  ;  their  loss  has 
been  often  very  inconvenient  to  me  since,  and  is 
now  particularly  regretted,  as  they  might  have 
been  useful  to  you.  However,  all  that  remain  I 
confide  to  your  friendly  discretion,  which  will  readily 
suggest      **********     ona 

review  of  all  my  public  conduct  to  this  day,  I  acted 
with  honest  zeal  for  the  King's  service,  and  the  real 
good  of  his  subjects,  which  I  always  did,  and  do  now, 
think  are  inseparable  ;  nor  did  I  ever  know  any  in- 
tentions to  impose  arbitrary  laws  on  America,  or  to 
establish  any  system  repugnant  to  British  liberty  ; 
and  I  do  verily  believe,  had  true,  wise,  and  open 
measures  been  embraced  on  both  sides,  that  their 
union  would  have  been  many  years  established,  and 
their  prosperity  wonderfully  increased.  The  inde- 
pendence having  been  consented  to  by  the  govern- 
18 


194  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

nient  which  entrusted  me  with  its  powers,  I  do  most 
cordially  wish  the  most  extensive,  great,  and  per- 
manent blessings  to  the  United  States,  and  of  course 
rejoice  at  the  establishment  of  their  federal  constitu- 
tion as  a  probable  means  of  their  happiness.  If 
there  is  any  thing  partial  in  my  heart  on  this  case, 
it  is  that  New  Hampshire,  my  native  country,  may 
arise  to  be  among  the  most  brilliant  members  of  the 
confederation  ;  as  it  was  my  zealous  wish,  ambition, 
and  unremitted  endeavor,  to  have  led  her  to,  among 
the  provinces,  while  under  my  administration.  For 
this  object,  nothing  appeared  to  me  too  much. 
My  whole  heart  and  fortune  were  devoted  to  it,  and, 
I  do  flatter  myself,  not  without  prospect  of  some 
success. 

"  If  the  bundle  of  papers  prove  useful  to  you, 
they  will  therein  do  me  the  best  service  ;  if  other- 
wise, I  hope  their  being  transmitted  will  serve  to 
evince  my  ready  disposition  toward  your  wishes, 
which  you  may  be  assured  you  will  find  me  at  all 
times  attached  to,  with  all  the  steadfastness  and  zeal 
of  friendship  and  respect. 

"  I  am,  my  dear  Sir,  very  truly, 
"  Tour  sincere  friend, 

"  J.  Wentworth. 
"Rev.  Jeremy  Belknap." 


CORRESPONDENCE  WITH  GK>V.  WEXTWORTH.    195 

FROM    THE    SAME. 

"Halifax,  June  2 2d,  1792. 

"  Be  assured,  my  dear  friend,  I  feel  myself 
happy  in  your  congratulations  on  my  appointment 
to  the  government  of  this  province.  In  every  situa- 
tion of  life,  the  friendship  of  those  I  most  esteem 
and  respect  must  be  numbered  among  those  things 
that  I  most  covet." 

FROM   THE    SAME. 

"Halifax,  23d  October,  1792. 

"My  Dear  Sir, 

"  Late  last  evening,  I  returned  from  an  ex- 
pedition in  the  woods,  after  thirty-four  days'  absence ; 
the  chief  object  of  which  was  to  open  a  road  from 
the  settlements  at  Poictou  on  the  Gulf  of  St.  Law- 
rence, to  this  place.  This  has  been  long  wanted,  but 
thought  impracticable,  from  the  expense,  and  the 
supposed  difficulty  of  the  country.  Both  are,  how- 
ever, overcome,  and  a  good  cart-road  is  cut,  made, 
and  bridged,  by  which  the  inhabitants  of  that  popu- 
lous, increasing,  and  fertile  district  have  an  easy 
communication  with  the  capital,  and  can  enjoy  the 
benefits  of  its  commerce,  as  well  as  all  the  advan- 
tages of  law  and  government ;  of  all  of  which,  they 
were  before  almost  as  much  deprived  as  if  they  had 
been  resident  on  the  White  Mountains.  This  has 
been  accomplished  without  any  burthen  on  the  pub- 
lic, from  a  revenue  which  has  always  been  disposed 
of  by  governors,  but  hitherto  not  appropriated  to 


196  LITE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

such  purposes  as  I  think  it  my  duty  to  apply  it. 
The  distance  is  sixty-eight  miles,  of  which  I  have 
cut,  bridged,  and  made  entirely,  forty,  and  made 
the  remainder  comfortable  (except  eight  miles 
which  was  done  before),  and  my  funds  diminished 
not  £150  currency. 

"  This  business  prevented  my  receiving  your  let- 
ter of  27th  August,  until  this  morning.  *  *  I 
have  only  time  to  give  you  the  preceding  reasons 
for  the  delay  in  answering  it,  and  to  assure  you,  I 
will  endeavor  to  obtain  the  information  you  desire 
about  the  Ante-Columbian  discovery  of  America. 

"  I  feel  a  friendly  impatience  to  see  the  discourse 
you  have  this  day  delivered  (the  century  discourse), 
and  beg  you  to  send  me  a  copy  by  the  first  vessel. 

"  The  autumn  is  now  so  far  advanced,  and  the 
various  duties  of  my  offices  in  this  government, 
and  in  all  the  others  as  surveyor-general  of  the 
woods,  are  so  urgent,  and  require  so  much  my  im- 
mediate attention,  that  I  fear  whether  it  will  be  in 
my  power  to  indulge  my  wishes  in  a  visit  to  my 
friends  at  Portsmouth  and  Boston,  this  season. 
However,  I  do  not  yet  entirely  give  up  the  hopes  of  so 
desirable  a  gratification,  which  would  be  unfeignedly 
increased  to  me  in  your  friendly  embrace  ;  for  I  pray 
you  to  be  assured,  I  am,  my  dear  Sir, 

"  Your  sincere  friend, 

"J.  Wextworth." 
"Rev.  Jeremy  Belknap." 


CORRESPONDENCE  WITH  GOV.  WEXTWORTH.    197 

"  I  forgot  to  beg  your  assistance  in  procuring  for 
me  one  of  the  Hebrew  grammars  published  by  Judah 
Monis,  late  of  Harvard  College,  and  used  there, 
while  I  was  an  undergraduate.  It  is  intended  for 
my  son,  who  is  a  student  of  Brazen  Nose  College, 
Oxford,  and  has  a  taste  for  the  Hebrew  language,  in 
which  he  made  great  proficiency  while  at  Westmin- 
ster school. 

"  Your  friend, 

"J.  Wextworth." 

FROM   THE   SAME. 

"Halifax,  7th  November,  1793. 

"  My  Dear  Sir, 

"Amidst  the  urgency  of  public  business, 
exceedingly  increased  by  paying  and  dismissing 
upwards  of  one  thousand  militia-men,  who  have  been 
called  in  as  a  reinforcement  to  this  garrison,  I  em- 
brace a  few  moments  afforded  me  by  Mr.  Walter, 
to  return  my  best  thanks  for  your  kind  letter  and 
the  Hebrew  grammar,  which  I  shall  send  to  my  son 
by  the  packet  arrived  to-day,  from  New  York,  on 
her  way  to  England,  which  I  shall  despatch  in  three 
days. 

"  The  preparations  for  defence,  and  the  frequent 
alarms  from  New  York  [of  a  French  invasion], 
have  so  continually  excited  the  apprehensions  of 
our  inhabitants  in  this  town  for  three  months  past, 


198  LIFE   OF   DR.    BELKXAP. 

that  my  every  moment  has  been  occupied.  The 
alacrity  and  public  spirit  of  our  militia  has  given  me 
great  pleasure ;  and  their  orderly  behavior,  both  on 
their  march  and  while  in  town,  has  been  equally 
honorable  to  themselves,  and  flattering  to  me.  AYe 
have  not  had  one  offence  tried  or  complained  of. 
Every  division  were  armed  on  their  arrival  in  town, 
and  the  next  day  assiduously  applied  themselves  to 
military  exercises  with  so  much  zeal  an<J  diligence, 
that  their  proficiency  surprises  every  body.  One 
company  marched  one  hundred  and  thirty  miles  in 
thirty-five  hours.  Two  other  companies,  hearing 
many  guns,  ran  thirteen  miles  in  two  hours,  to  come 
in  time.  Instead  of  drafting  to  complete  the  levies, 
many  companies  insisted  upon  their  right  to  come ; 
and  the  officers  were  obliged  to  draft  those  that 
were  to  remain  at  home,  and  complete  a  second 
reinforcement  when  wanted.  The  Acadians  are 
equally  affected  as  the  rest.  Since  my  accession 
to  the  government,  I  have  earnestly  applied  myself 
to  comfort  and  establish  them,  by  granting  lands 
without  fees,  appointing  magistrates  among  them, 
calling  them  to  the  grand  juries  and  town  offices, 
enrolling  them  in  the  militia,  and  aiding  their  priests. 
They  sent  me  seventy-five  volunteers  upon  this  occa- 
sion, under  command  of  an  English  half-pay  officer : 
on  their  arrival,  I  gave  the  same  arms  and  allow- 
ances as  the  rest.  Their  old  captain  told  me  they 
now  first  found  themselves  the  same  as  Englishmen, 


CORRESPONDENCE  WITH  GOV.  WEXTWORTH.    199 

and  were  perfectly  happy,  and  would  be  as  faithful 
to  the  king  and  province  as  any  men  in  it.  I  con- 
fess recovering  these  poor  people  to  their  own  hap- 
piness, and  as  the  old  man  said  to  me,  that  I  had 
made  them  forget  all  the  miseries  their  people  had 
formerly  suffered,  gives  me  infinitely  more  comfort 
than  any  other  thing  since  my  administration.  I 
know  your  benevolent  heart  will  not  only  rejoice, 
but  also  congratulate  me  on  this  event." 


FROM   THE   SAME. 

"Halifax,  24th  July,  1795. 

"My  Dear  Sir, 

"  The  multiplied  importunities  of  urgent 
business  have  lately  interrupted  the  gratifications 
derived  to  me  from  private  correspondence,  and, 
among  others,  prevented  my  writing  to  you  as 
often  as  I  wished.  I  will  no  longer  be  restrained, 
however,  from  so  pleasing  an  intercourse  ;  more  es- 
pecially as  it  is,  and  has  been  some  time,  my  wish 
to  express  to  you  the  solid  comfort  resulting  to  me, 
in  these  distracted  times,  when  the  mighty  power 
of  France  is  madly  employed  to  destroy  our  religion, 
and  thereby  bury  social  order,  with  all  its  beauties 
and  blessings,  in  barbarian  ruins,  from  recollecting  a 
sermon  you  preached  at  Dover,  in  New  Hampshire, 
when  I  reviewed  a  regiment  of  militia  there.     In 


200  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

that  discourse,  you  convinced  me,  that  the  kingdom 
of  Christ  required  not  arms  for  its  defence  or  sup- 
port, nor  could  possibly  be  subverted  by  them. 
From  that  hour  my  mind  was  satisfied,  and  I  now 
am  fully  persuaded,  that  the  unexampled  efforts 
of  the  French  to  exterminate  Christianity  will  not 
only  be  frustrated  by  the  decrees  of  Heaven,  but 
that  it  will  be  more  signally  established  and  extend- 
ed by  their  malice  ;  and,  of  course,  that  safety, 
benevolence,  and  all  the  other  endearing  charities 
of  life,  will  still  be  preserved  under  that  great  shel- 
ter. Thus,  although  I  see  the  ruinous  torrent 
deluge  many  countries,  yet  I  am  persuaded,  that 
bounds  are  set  to  their  devastations,  which  cannot 
be  passed.  Where  these  bounds  may  be  appointed, 
cannot  be  foreseen, —  I  most  devoutly  hope,  beyond 
the  Atlantic,  and  that  the  pestilence  may  not  pre- 
vail in  America.  It  would  be  a  sin  truly  diabolical, 
to  plunge  in  darkness  and  horror  the  fair  prospects 
which  now  shine  on  the  American  union. 

11  In  the  course  of  your  studies  relative  to  the 
History  of  New  Hampshire,  it  is  possible  you  may 
have  met  with  some  papers  or  anecdotes  concerning 
my  family.  If  any  have  occurred,  or  that  you  can 
procure  for  me,  they  will  be  of  great  use,  and  most 
exceedingly  oblige  me  especially —  *       *       * 

"  I  know  not  how  to  apologize  for  asking  this 
favor,  which  is  so  very  interesting  to  me ;  but,  in  your 
kindness  and  friendship,  I  trust  for  excuse,  and  in 


CORRESPONDENCE  WITH  GOV.  WENTWORTH.   201 

your  extensive  information  for  success,  which  will  be 
thankfully  considered  by,  my  dear  Sir, 
"  Your  sincere  friend, 

J.  Wentworth. 
"P.S.  Should  any  expense  occur  in  procuring 
copies,  searching  records,  or  otherwise,  I  will  gladly 
repay  it. 

"  J.  W." 

FROM   THE   SAME. 

"Halifax,  Nova  Scotia,  Sept.  15th.  1797. 

"My  Dear  Sir, 

"  I  am  indeed  exceedingly  obliged  and  hap- 
py in  your  kind  letter  of  the  17th  August,  which 
came  to  my  hands  the  12th  inst.  The  inclosures 
are  very  acceptable  to  me,  and  I  also  beg  to  repeat 
my  thanks  for  those  communications  you  sometime 
since  sent  to  me  :  those  respecting  my  family,  though 
not  equal  to  legal  evidence,  yet  had  a  good  use  in 
satisfying  those  who  were  to  determine  that  my 
claims  were  well  founded ;  and  the  deficiency  of 
formal  proof  was  supplied  by  the  gracious  commands 
of  my  sovereign,  in  whose  wisdom  our  constitution 
places  plenary  powers  in  such  cases.  The  interest 
your  friendship  kindly  takes  in  my  happiness,  justi- 
fies me  in  mentioning,  that,  in  the  honors  lately  con- 
ferred, an  addition  to  my  arms  was  granted, 
signifying  ability  and  fidelity  in  the  public  service. 
These,  however,  merited  more  by  honest  zeal  than 


202  LIFE   OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

brilliant  execution,  are  a  pleasing  mark  of  appro- 
bation upon  principles  applicable  to  all  forms  of 
government.  The  next  to  this,  I  rejoice  in  and  am 
proud  of  the  affectionate  remembrance  of  my  old 
friend,  the  highly  respected  President  of  the  United 
States,  and  with  perfect  sincerity  reciprocate  his 
kind  expression  ;  for  it  is  certain  '  I  always  loved 
John  Adams.'  Our  youth  was  spent  in  confidence 
and  intimacy,  which  discovered  to  me  so  many  vir- 
tues and  such  preeminent  abilities,  that  they  created 
an  esteem  which  has  not  since  been  estranged,  and 
still  affords  me  many  hours  of  comforting  reflection. 
Perhaps  no  man  can  entertain  a  more  exalted  opin- 
ion of  our  friend's  political  wisdom  than  I  do ;  nor 
is  it  impossible  that  it  may  exceed  the  wisdom  of 
those  you  designate  [the  crowned  heads  of  Europe]  : 
the  most  of  them  I  really  believe  it  does.  In  that 
description,  however,  we  have  seldom  the  means  of 
a  due  appreciation.  Their  wisdom  is  often  imputed 
to  others,  and  the  reverse  in  its  defect,  redoubling 
the  balance  against  their  reputation.  You  could 
not  more  safely  anticipate  my  concurrence,  than  in 
the  sentiment  that  my  classmate  is  the  most  perfect 
choice  that  could  mark  the  good  sense  and  sound 
judgment  of  the  United  States.  Nor  are  my  best 
wishes  wanting  for  his  prosperous  and  long  adminis- 
tration: therein,  I  verily  believe,  is  included  the 
greatest  good  that  can  be  wished  for  the  United 
States  of  America.     ***** 


CORRESPONDENCE  WITH  GOV.  WENTWORTH.     203 

"  I  may  not  reasonably  enlarge  this  long  letter 
with  apologies.  It  is  most  my  interest  to  commit 
myself  to  your  friendship,  which  has  always  been 
very  good  and  very  dear  to 

"  Your  faithful  and  obedient  servant, 

"J.  Went  worth." 

FROM   THE   SAME. 

"  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia,  23d  March,  1798. 

"My  Dear  Sir, 

"  An  unexpected  urgency  requiring  the  im- 
mediate sailing  of  the  brig  Earl  of  Moira,  I  have 
not  a  moment  (which  literally  is  my  own)  ;  but  I 
will  snatch  one  wherein  to  thank  you  for  your  late 
very  kind  and  acceptable  letter,  and  to  ask  accept- 
ance of  the  picture  of  my  late  Grandfather,  which 
you  mentioned.  It  is  an  original,  and  well  execu- 
ted. I  am  much  flattered  by  its  intended  situation 
among  the  good  men  of  my  natiye  country,  to  which 
I  shall  never  cease  to  bear  an  honest  affection. 
[This  picture  is  in  the  collection  of  the  Historical 
Society.] 

"  You  will  have  received  the  European  news  by 
the  Halifax  packet,  arrived  at  Xew  York,  probably 
before  it  reached  us,  and  therefore  it  will.be  un- 
necessary to  trouble  you  on  that  subject,  if  time 


204  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

remained  more  than  to  assure  you  of  the  sincere 
regard  and  esteem  of,  Reverend  and  dear  sir, 
"  Your  faithful  friend, 

"J.  Wextworth. 

"  P.  S.  I  have  directed  to  you  a  pamphlet  pub- 
lished by  the  late  province  of  New  York  relative  to 
their  contest  with  New  Hampshire  for  Vermont. 
Possibly  it  may  be  acceptable  for  your  Historical 
Society's  collection,  to  which  I  shall  gladly  embrace 
any  occasions  that  may  arise  of  contributing  my 
mite.  J.  W. 

"Rev.  Jeremy  Belknap." 

The  result  of  the  inquiry  instituted  by  Governor 
Wentworth  concerning  the  ante-Columbian  discovery 
of  America,  as  given  in  the  advertisement  to  the 
second  volume  of  American  Biography,  is,  that  no 
vestige  of  a  settlement  nor  of  grape-vines  could  be 
found  ;  and  though  the  tale  has  been  more  recently 
related  by  Mr.  Wheaton,  in  his  History  of  the 
Northmen,  it  is  since  put  at  rest  by  the  following 
note,  in  the  first  volume  of  "  Scandinavia,"  by 
Crichton  and  Wheaton,  Edinburgh,  1838,  page  23  : 

"  The  alleged  discovery  of  North  America,  under 
the  name  of  Yinland,  by  the  Scandinavians,  in  the 
year  1002,  is  not  worthy  of  credence.  The  error 
appears  to  have  been  the  work  of  some  designing 
interpolator  of  the  old  Icelandic  M.S.  Chronicles." 

In  page  163  of  the  same  History,  is  the  following 


HISTORY    OF   NEW   HAMPSHIRE.  205 

reference  :  "  See  an  interesting  dissertation  on  the 
alleged  discovery  of  America  by  the  Scandinavians, 
by  J.  H.  Schroeder,  in  the  Svea  for  1818,  torn.  i. 
p.  197,  a  periodical  published  at  Upsala." 

In  1792  Dr.  Belknap  published  the  third  and 
last  volume  of  the  History  of  New  Hampshire.  No 
sooner  was  this  work,  which  had  cost  so  much  time 
and  labor,  completed,  than  an  editor  of  a  newspaper 
in  Keene  attempted  to  profit  by  it  at  the  expense 
of  the  author,  to  which  end  he  published  the  follow- 
ing notice  : 

"  In  order  to  render  this  paper  as  useful  and  en- 
tertaining as  possible,  the  editor  proposes  in  a  few 
weeks  to  commence  upon  the  Rev.  Mr.  Belknap's 
late  History  of  New  Hampshire,  and  continue  a 
small  part  of  the  same  weekly.  As  every  member 
of  the  community  is  equally  interested  in  this  much- 
approved  History,  the  editor  flatters  himself  that 
the  above  attempt  to  please  will  meet  with  the  ap- 
probation of  his  generous  patrons.  This  information 
is  given  to  accommodate  those  who  have  a  de- 
sire of  becoming  subscribers  for  the  Cheshire  Ad- 
vertiser, that  they  may  apply  in  season,  and  not  be 
disappointed  of  the  first  part  of  this  valuable  His- 
tory." 

This  information  reaching  Dr.  Belknap,  through 
the  kindness  of  his  friend,  Mr.  Isaiah  Thomas,  of 
Worcester,  occasioned  the  following  letter  to  the 
gentleman  so  desirous  to  please  his  customers : 


206  LIFE   OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

•"Boston,  April  21st,  1792. 

"To  Mr. , 

"  Editor  of  the  Cheshire  Advertiser. 

"  I  have  observed  in  your  paper  of  the  4th 
inst.,  that  you  have  promised  your  customers  '  to 
commence  upon  the  Rev.  Mr.  Belknap's  History  of 
New  Hampshire,  and  continue  a  small  part  of  the 
same  weekly,  to  accommodate  those  who  have  a  de- 
sire of  becoming  subscribers  for  the  Cheshire  Ad- 
vertiser, &c.'  As  I  am  particularly  interested  in 
the  success  of  that  literary  adventure,  I  beg  you 
would  set  me  down  as  a  subscriber  for  the  Cheshire 
Advertiser  for  one  year,  to  commence  from  the 
first  portion  of  the  said  History  which  you  may  re- 
print, and  send  the  papers  to  me  regularly  by  the  post. 
If  you  are  desirous  of  reprinting  the  certificate  from 
the  Clerk  of  the  Federal  Court,  which  secures  the 
copyright  of  the  said  History  to  me  and  my  heirs, 
agreeably  to  the  laws  of  the  United  States,  be  so 
good  as  to  let  me  know  it,  and  I  will  send  you  an 
authenticated  copy. 

"  I  am,  sir,  your  very  humble  servant, 

"Jeremy  Belknap." 

Thus,  for  a  time,  the  threatened  invasion  of  his 
rights  was  repelled ;  but,  a  few  years  after,  a  New 
York  printer  was  more  successful  in  selling  a  Geog- 
raphy, into  which  were  transcribed  large  portions  of 
the  work ;    and  though  an  attempt  was  made  to 


THE   FORESTERS.  207 

obtain  some  remuneration  from  him,  it  was  found 
nothing  but  the  application  of  the  law  would  have 
any  effect ;  and,  this  being  too  expensive  a  mode  of 
settlement,  the  injury  remained  without  redress. 

In  this  year  also  Dr.  Belknap  published  "  The  For- 
esters, an  American  tale,  being  a  sequel  to  the  His- 
tory of  John  Bull  the  Clothier,  in  a  series  of  letters 
to  a  friend."  It  appeared  first  in  successive  num- 
bers of  the  Columbian  Magazine,  and  was  afterwards 
collected  into  a  volume,  which  passed  through  two 
editions  during  the  author's  life.  This  little  book 
gives  a  humorous  account  of  the  first  settlement  of 
the  country,  and  the  troubles  with  Great  Britain  ; 
it  was  printed  anonymously,  the  copyright  being 
secured  by  the  publishers.  The  second  edition 
was  printed  in  1796,  and  two  letters  were  added, 
continuing  the  story  to  that  time. 

A  description  of  the  hostility  of  Massachusetts 
towards  the  Quakers  and  Anabaptists,  and  of  the  ex- 
pulsion of  the  former  from  the  state,  is  given  in  the 
third  letter  as  follows.  It  is  headed,  "  John  Cod- 
line  quarrels  with  Roger  Carrier,  and  turns  him  out 
of  doors." 

"  John's  family  grew,  and  he  settled  his  sons  as 
fast  as  they  became  of  age,  to  live  by  themselves ; 
and  when  any  of  his  old  acquaintance  came  to  see 
him,  he  bade  them  welcome,  and  was  their  very  good 
friend,  as  long  as  they  continued  to  he  of  his  mind, 
and  no  longer ;  for  he  was  a  very  pragmatical  sort 


208  LIFE    OF    DR.    BELKNAP. 

of  a  fellow,  and  loved  to  have  his  own  way  in  every 
thing.  This  was  the  cause  of  a  quarrel  between 
him  and  Roger  Carrier  ;  for  it  happened  that  Roger 
had  taken  a  fancy  to  dip  his  head  into  water,*  as 
the  most  effectual  way  of  washing  his  face,  and 
thought  it  could  not  be  made  so  clean  in  any  other 
way.  John,  who  used  the  common  way  of  taking 
water  in  his  hand  to  wash  his  face,  was  displeased 
with  Roger's  innovation,  and  remonstrated  against 
it.  The  remonstrance  had  no  other  effect  than  to 
fix  Roger's  opinion  more  firmly ;  and  as  a  farther 
improvement  on  his  new  plan,  he  pretended  that  no 
person  ought  to  have  his  face  washed  till  he  was 
capable  of  doing  it  himself,  without  any  assistance 
from  his  parents.  John  was  out  of  patience  with 
this  addition,  and  plumply  told  him  that,  if  he  did  not 
reform  his  principles  and  practice,  he  would  fine  him, 
or  flog  him,  or  kick  him  out  of  doors.  These 
threats  put  Roger  on  inventing  other  odd  and  whim- 
sical opinions.  He  took  offence  at  the  letter  X,  and 
would  have  had  it  expunged  from  the  alphabet,  be- 
cause it  was  the  shape  of  a  cross,  and  had  a  ten- 
dency to  introduce  Popery. f  He  would  not  do  his 
duty  at  a  military  muster,  because  there  was  an  X 
in  the  colors.  After  a  while  he  began  to  scruple 
the  lawfulness  of  bearing  arms  and   killing  wild 

*  Anabaptists. 

t  Roger  Williams'  zeal  against  the  sign  of  the  Cross. 


THE    FORESTERS.  209 

beasts.  But,  poor  fellow  !  the  worst  of  all  was,  that 
being  seized  with  a  shaking-palsy*  which  affected 
every  limb  and  joint  of  him,  his  speech  was  so  al- 
tered that  he  was  unable  to  pronounce  certain  letters 
and  syllables  as  he  had  been  used  to  do.  These 
oddities  and  defects  rendered  him  more  and  more 
disagreeable  to  his  old  friend,  who,  however,  kept 
his  temper  as  well  as  he  could,  till  one  day,  as  John 
was  saying  a  long  grace  over  his  meat,  Roger  kept 
his  hat  on  the  whole  time.  As  soon  as  the  ceremo- 
ny was  over,  John  took  up  a  case-knife  from  the 
table,  and  gave  Roger  a  blow  on  the  ear  with  the 
broad  side  of  it ;  then  with  a  quick,  rising  stroke, 
turned  off  his  hat.  Roger  said  nothing,  but,  taking 
up  his  hat,  put  it  on  again ;  at  which  John  broke 
out  into  such  a  passionate  speech  as  this :  '  You  im- 
pudent scoundrel !  is  it  come  to  this  ?  Have  I  not 
borne  with  your  whims  and  fidgets  these  many 
years,  and  yet  they  grow  upon  you  ?  Have  I  not 
talked  with  you  time  after  time,  and  proved  to  you 
as  plain  as  the  nose  in  your  face,  that  your  notions 
are  wrong  ?  Have  I  not  ordered  you  to  leave  them 
off,  and  warned  you  of  the  consequences ;  and  yet 
you  have  gone  on  from  bad  to  worse  ?  You  began 
with  dipping  your  head  into  water,  and  would  have 
all  the  family  do  the  same,  pretending  there  was  no 
other  way  of  washing  the  face.     You  would  have 

*  Quakers. 
14 


210  LIFE    OF    DR.    BELKNAP. 

had  the  children  go  dirty  all  their  days,  under  pre- 
tence that  they  were  not  able  to  wash  their  own 
faces,  and  so  they  must  have  been  as  filthy  as  the 
pigs  till  they  were  grown  up.  Then  you  would  talk 
your  own  balderdash  lingo,  thee  and  Q 

•oth  ;  and  now  you  must  keep  your  hat  on  when 
I  am  at  my  devotions,  and  I  suppose  would  be  glad 
to  have  the  whole  family  do  the  same  !  There  is  no 
bearing  with  you  any  longer;  so  now,  hear  me,  I 
give  you  fair  warning:  if  you  don't  mend  your 
manners,  and  retract  your  errors,  and  promise 
reformation,  Til  kick  you  out  of  the  house.  I  '11 
have  no  such  refractory  fellows  here.  I  came  into 
this  forest  for  reformation,  and  reformation  I  ivill 
have.' 

"  '  Friend  John,'  said  Roger,  ;  dost  not  thou  re- 
member, when  thou  and  I  lived  together  in  friend 
Bull's  family,  how  hard  thou  didst  think  it  to  be 
compelled  to  look  on  thy  book  all  the  time  that  the 
hooded  chaplain  was  reading  the  prayers,  and  how 
many  knocks  and  thumps  thou  and  I  had  for  offering 
to  use  our  liberty,  which  we  thought  we  had  a  right 
to  do  ?  Didst  thou  not  come  hitherunto  for  the  sake 
of  enjoying  thy  liberty  ?  and  did  not  I  come  to  enjoy 
mine  ?  Wherefore,  then,  dost  thou  assume  to  de- 
prive me  of  the  right  which  thou  claimest  for  thy- 
self !  ' 

i; .'  Don't  tell  me,'  answered  John,  i  of  right 
and  of  liberty :  you  have  as  much  liberty  as  any 


THE    FORESTERS.  211 

man  ought  to  have.     You  have  liberty  to  do  right, 
and  no  man  ought  to  have  liberty  to  do  wrong.' 

"  c  Who  is  to  be  judge,'  replied  Roger,  '  of  what 
is  right  or  what  is  wrong?  Ought  not  I  to  judge 
for  myself?  Or  thinkest  thou  it  is  thy  place  to 
judge  for  me  ? ' 

"  '  Who  is  to  be  judge  ?  '  said  John,  '  why,  the 
book  is  to  be  judge ;  and  I  have  proved  by  the  book 
over  and  over  again,  that  you  are  wrong  ;  and  there- 
fore you  are  wrong,  and  you  have  no  liberty  to  do 
any  thing  but  what  is  right.' 

"  '  But,  friend  John,'  said  Roger,  '  who  is  to 
judge  whether  thou  hast  proved  my  opinions  or  con- 
duct to  be  wrong  —  thou  or  I  ? ' 

"  '  Come,  come,'  said  John,  '  not  so  close,  neith- 
er ;  none  of  your  idle  distinctions.  I  say  you  are 
in  the  wrong ;  I  have  proved  it,  and  you  know  it. 
You  have  sinned  against  your  own  conscience,  and 
therefore  you  deserve  to  be  cut  off  as  an  incorrigible 
heretic' 

"  '  How  dost  thou  know,'  said  Roger,  '  that  I 
have  sinned  against  my  own  conscience  ?  Canst 
thou  search  the  heart  ? ' 

"  At  this  John  was  so  enraged  that  he  gave  him 
a  smart  kick,  and  bade  him  begone  out  of  his  house, 
and  oflF  his  lands,  and  called  after  him  to  tell  him, 
that,  if  ever  he  should  catch  him  there  again,  he 
would  knock  his  brains  out/' 


212  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

1794—1797. 

American  Biography  Published.  —  Judge  Jay's 
Opinion.  —  Extracts  from  the  Preface  of  Hub- 
bard's New  Edition.  —  Letter  to  Mr.  Hazard. 
—  General  Knox.  —  Dissertations ,  Extract.  — 
Psalms  and  Hymns.  — Letter  from  a  Grentleman 
of  Portland.  —  Dislike  to  Controversy. —  Anec- 
dotes. 

In  January,  1794,  the  first  volume  of  the 
American  Biography  was  published,  entitled,  "  An 
Historical  Account  of  those  Persons  who  have  been 
distinguished  in  America  as  Adventurers,  Statesmen, 
Philosophers,  Divines,  Warriors,  Authors,  and  other 
remarkable  characters."  The  first  biography  is 
that  of  Biorn,  the  discoverer  of  Vinland,  in  1001  ; 
and  the  volume  concludes  with  Henry  Hudson,  who, 
in  the  endeavor  to  find  a  north-west  passage,  dis- 
covered Spitzbergen  in  1607,  embracing  a  period  of 
six  hundred  years. 

Biography,  says  a  contemporary  writer,  "  was  a 
literary  path  hitherto  unexplored  in  this  country," 
when  entered  upon  by  Dr.  Belknap.  "  No  apology," 
says  the  author,  "  is  necessary  for  this  work,  if  its 
utility  be  admitted  ;  "  and  this,  time  has  abundantly 


AMERICAN   BIOGRAPHY.  213 

proved.  His  previous  historical  studies  and  pur- 
suits, as  well  as  his  accuracy  and  impartiality,  emi- 
nently qualified  him  for  its  successful  accomplish- 
ment. A  letter  from  Judge  Jay  to  Dr.  Belknap, 
upon  the  subject,  contains  the  following  sentence  : 

"  To  succeed  in  Biography  has  not  been  common. 
To  collect,  select,  and  arrange  the  necessary  mate- 
rials, requires  time  and  industry,  as  well  as  judgment ; 
and  it  always  appeared  to  me  to  be  a  matter  of  re- 
gret, that  although  reputation  was  more  valuable 
than  property,  yet  less  care  and  accuracy  were  gen- 
erally used  in  deciding  on  the  former,  than  on  the 
latter." 

A  new  edition  of  this  work  was  published  by 
Harper  and  Brothers,  in  1842  ;  the  editor  of  which, 
Mr.  F.  M.  Hubbard,  gives  the  following  testimony 
to  the  correctness  and  fidelity  of  the  author  : 

"  In  preparing  a  new  edition  of  a  work  so  highly 
esteemed  for  its  exactness  and  impartiality,  the 
editor  has  had  a  twofold  labor.  He  has  reexamined 
all  the  statements  of  facts  made  by  Dr.  Belknap, 
and  compared  them  with  the  authorities  he  used,  and 
with  others  which  were  not  accessible  when  he  wrote. 
It  has  been  very  seldom  that  he  has  found  occasion 
to  differ  from  Dr.  Belknap,  and  that  most  frequently 
in  cases  in  which  documents  recently  discovered 
have  thrown  light  upon  subjects  which  the  want 


214  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

of  them  rendered  necessarily  obscure.  It  is  believed 
that  no  work  has  been  published  of  such  magnitude, 
embracing  such  a  variety  of  persons  and  events,  and 
extending  over  a  period  of  more  than  six  hundred 
years,  in  which  so  few,  and  those  so  unimportant, 
errors  are  to  be  found.  The  manuscript  collections 
yet  remaining,  from  which  the  work  was  originally 
written,  prove  a  degree  of  careful  diligence,  and  a 
discriminating  and  impartial  judgment,  which  have 
been  rarely  exercised  by  the  historical  inquirer." 

The  first  suggestion  of  this  work  is  contained  in 
a  letter  from  Dr.  Belknap  to  his  friend  Mr.  Hazard, 
in  1779.     He  says : 

"  There  is  one  thing  I  intended  to  mention  to  you, 
which,  if  it  meet  with  your  approbation,  may  serve  as 
an  underplot  to  your  general  design  [of  the  State 
Papers] .  In  the  course  of  your  travels  through  the 
continent,  and  researches  into  antiquity,  you  will 
naturally  become  acquainted  with  the  characters  of 
many  persons  whose  memories  deserve  regard, 
either  as  statesmen,  scholars,  patriots,  or  otherwise. 
Might  not  a  collection  of  these,  in  the  form  of  a  bio- 
graphical dictionary,  be  an  useful  work  ?  I  have 
had  thoughts  of  such  a  thing,  and  have  made  the 
beginning  of  a  small  attempt  to  execute  it ;  but  as 
your  opportunities  for  perfecting  such  a  plan  are 
much  superior  to  what  mine  are,  or  will  probably 


AMERICAN   BIOGRAPHY.  215 

ever  be,  I  will  gladly  resign  to  you  whatever  I  have 
done,  or  can  hereafter  do,  toward  it." 

Mr.  Hazard's  reply  contains  the  following : 

uIam  charmed  with  your  proposal  of  an  Ameri- 
can Biographical  Dictionary,  and  will  cheerfully 
contribute  towards  it  any  aid  in  my  power ;  but 
upon  considering,  according  to  Horace's  advice, 

1  Quid  valeant  humeri  ferre,  quid  ferre  recusant/ 

I  dare  not  undertake  it.  When  you  attend  to  the 
magnitude  of  my  present  design,  and  recollect  that 
at  the  same  time  I  am  forming  an  American  Geo- 
graphy, you  will  see  the  propriety  of  my  declining 
it.  As  you  have  begun,  I  wish  you  would  go  on 
with  it.  It  is  unjust,  and  would  argue  base  ingrati- 
tude, that  the  characters  of  worthy  men  should  be 
buried  with  their  dust." 

The  next  letter  of  Dr.  Belknap  is  as  follows : 

"May  12th,  1779. 

"Dear  Sir, 

"  I  am  much  pleased  that  my  proposal  of  an 
American  Biographical  Dictionary  meets  with  your 
approbation.  The  promise  of  your  assistance  in 
carrying  it  on  is  a  great  inducement  to  proceed  in 
it :  but  I  had  much  rather  you  would  take  the  work 


216  LIFE    OF    DR.    BELKNAP. 

into  your  own  hands.  '  The  magnitude  of  your 
present  design  '  need  be  no  impediment  to  it,  as  the 
materials  lie  all  in  your  way,  and  you  need  only 
keep  a  memorandum  containing  an  alphabetical  in- 
dex of  names,  with  reference  to  the  books  and 
papers  where  the  characters  or  actions  of  the  per- 
sons are  registered,  wThich  may  be  transcribed  at 
some  future  period,  when  your  other  plans  are  com- 
pleted. This  is  chiefly  the  method  which  I  have 
pursued :  only  where  I  meet  with  hints  scattered  in 
books  or  papers  which  may  not  be  easily  collected 
again,  I  have  copied  them.  But  I  Lave  done  and 
can  do  but  little  toward  it.  Confined,  as  Pope  says, 
to  '  lead  the  life  of  a  cabbage,'  unable  to  stir  from 
the  spot  where  I  am  planted,  burdened  with  the 
care  of  an  increasing  family,  and  obliged  to  pursue 
the  business  of  my  proper  station,  I  have  neither 
time  nor  advantages  to  make  any  improvements  in 
science.  If  I  can  furnish  hints  to  those  wrho  have 
leisure  and  capacity  to  pursue  them,  it  is  as  much 
as  I  can  pretend  to.  If,  upon  further  consideration, 
you  should  think  more  favorably  of  being  the  prin- 
cipal instrument  of  perfecting  the  design,  I  will 
promise  to  forward  it  to  the  utmost  of  my  power  ; 
but,  if  not,  I  beg  you  would  not  only  assist  in  it 
yourself,  but  engage  a  number  of  gentlemen  in  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  continent  to  make  collections  for 
it,  and  let  some  person  whose  situation  is  more  cen- 
tral than  mine  be  appointed  to  receive  them.     By 


CORRESPONDENCE    WITH   MR.    HAZARD.        217 

this  means,  perhaps  in  a  series  of  time  the  thing 
may  be  done  ;  but  if  it  lie  solely  upon  me,  and  I  am 
to  continue  in  my  present  situation,  I  am  persuaded 
it  never  will." 

A  letter  from  Mr.  Hazard,  dated  Jamaica  Plain, 
the  following  August,  gives  some  idea  of  the  diffi- 
culties a  literary  project  had  to  encounter  in  such 
troubled  times.     He  says  : 

"  I  mentioned  the  dictionary  to  Dr.  Gordon  of 
this  place,  Dr.  Stiles  of  Xew  Haven,  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Tennent  of  Greenfield,  in  Connecticut,  and  I  think 
to  several  gentlemen  in  Philadelphia ;  but  I  men- 
tioned it  as  you  preach  sermons,  in  hopes  that  it 
might  possibly  take  effect  somewhere,  but  almost 
despairing  of  it  at  the  same  time.  In  short,  the  war, 
and  the  numerous  avocations  consequent  upon  it, 
have  thrown  every  man's  mind  into  such  an  unset- 
tled and  confused  state,  that  but  few  can  think 
steadily  upon  any  subject.  They  hear  of  useful 
designs;  they  give  you  all  the  encouragement  which 
can  be  derived  from  the  warmest  approbation  of 
your  plan  ;  they  will  even  promise  you  assistance  : 
politics  intrude,  and  when  you  appear  again,  why, 
they  really  forgot  that  the  matter  had  been  men- 
tioned to  them." 

The  second  volume  of  the  Biography  begins  with 
the  life  of  Sir  Thomas  Smith,  treasurer  of  the  Virginia 


218  LIFE   OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

Company  in  England,  and  one  of  the  assignees  of 
Raleigh's  patent ;  and  concludes  with  William  Penn. 
Dr.  Belknap  lived  to  complete  it,  but  not  to  see  it 
published ;  the  printing  being  in  progress  at  the 
time  of  his  decease. 

Dr.  Belknap's  patriotism  was  active  and  vigilant 
to  repel  all  assaults  upon  the  honor  of  his  country. 
General  Knox,  Secretary  of  War,  on  resigning  his 
office,  addressed  a  letter  to  the  President,  Dec.  29th, 
1794,  in  which  he  lamented  that  a  our  modes  of 
population  had  been  more  destructive  to  the  Indian 
natives  than  the  conduct  of  the  conquerors  of  Mex- 
ico and  Peru."  This  unjust  aspersion  roused  Dr. 
Belknap  in  defence  of  his  country,  and  he  wrote  a 
letter  to  General  Knox,  which  w^as  printed  in  the 
Columbian  Centinel,  of  24th  January,  1795,  show- 
ing that  the  first  settlers  had  bought  their  land  and 
paid  the  Indians  for  it,  and  had  made  great  efforts 
to  civilize  and  christianize  them ;  and  that  the  de- 
crease of  their  number  was  not  owing  to  the  causes 
to  which  the  General  attributed  it.  Another  instance 
of  this  watchfulness  and  care  of  the  honor  of  the  Uni- 
ted States  is  the  correction  of  an  error  of  Dr.  Kippis 
respecting  the  conduct  of  the  American  Congress 
with  regard  to  Captain  Cook,  which  was  published 
at  the  time  in  the  Collections  of  the  Historical  So- 
ciety, vol.  iv.  p.  79,  &c. 

In  1795,  Dr.  Belknap  published  "  Dissertations 
on  the  Character,  Death,  and  Resurrection  of  Jesus 


DISSERTATIONS.  219 

Christ,  and  the  Evidence  of  his  Gospel ;  with  Re- 
marks on  some  sentiments  advanced  in  a  book  enti- 
tled <  The  Age  of  Reason.'  " 

This  compendium,  designed  for  those  who  have 
not  leisure  or  opportunity  to  look  into  more  volumi- 
nous works,  does  not  pretend  to  any  new  arguments. 
An  extract  from  the  first  dissertation,  on  the  nature  of 
that  evidence  by  which  the  Gospel  is  supported,  will 
give  an  idea  of  the  manner  of  reasoning  pursued  in  it. 

"  Where  there  is  a  prospect  of  advantage,  and  of 
such  vast,  unspeakable  advantage  as  the  happiness 
of  a  future  state,  —  a  subject  which  has  engaged  the 
attention  of  good  men  in  all  ages,  —  surely  it  is  ra- 
tional to  admit  that  degree  of  moral  evidence  which 
is  founded  on  credible  testimony,  —  on  testimony 
wThich  cannot  be  contradicted  by  any  testimony  of 
equal  credibility,  and  from  the  certainty  of  which 
no  deduction  can  be  made  by  any  reasonable  evi- 
dence of  a  contrary  truth. 

"  Such  is  the  kind  of  evidence,  and  such  is  the 
degree  of  that  kind  of  evidence,  on  which  the  facts 
which  involve  the  gospel  hope  of  eternal  life  are 
grounded.  It  is  the  evidence  of  testimony  ;  the 
testimony  of  Jesus  Christ  and  his  apostles.  Jesus 
Christ  came  from  heaven  into  this  world,  and  pointed 
out  to  us  the  path  of  life  by  his  doctrine  and  example. 
Having  delivered  his  testimony,  and  confirmed  it  by 
a  series  of  the  most  wonderful  and  beneficial  works 
which  were  ever  seen  and   known   in  this  world; 


220  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

having  voluntarily  yielded  himself  to  the  power  of 
death,  and  submitted  to  be  laid  in  the  grave  ;  he 
hath  resumed  his  life,  and  returned  to  heaven.  Of 
all  this  there  is  sufficient  evidence  ;  there  is  written 
evidence  ;  there  is  evidence  from  the  written  testi- 
mony of  credible  witnesses,  who  could  not  be  mis- 
taken, because  they  did  not  believe  it  themselves 
until,  after  doubting,  they  were  convinced  by  the 
most  infallible  and  demonstrative  proof;  and  who 
could  have  no  interest  in  deceiving  us,  because  they 
have  ventured  their  own  happiness  on  the  credibility 
of  the  same  truths.  If,  then,  we  have  any  idea  of 
the  benefit  which  is  proposed  to  us  by  believing  in 
Jesus  Christ,  and  obeying  his  Gospel ;  if  we  have 
any  value  for  that  salvation  which  is  there  revealed, 
ought  we  not  to  attend  to  this  evidence  ?  And  if 
it  appears  reasonable,  and  we  have  no  contrary  evi- 
dence to  detract  from  its  credibility,  is  it  not  wise 
and  prudent  for  us  to  admit  the  truth  of  the  facts, 
and  the  importance  of  the  consequences  deducible 
from  them  ;  and,  when  we  have  admitted  it,  to  build 
our  hope  and  expectations  on  it  ?  Ought  we  not  to 
exercise  the  same  judgment  and  caution  on  this  sub- 
ject, which  we  do  every  day  on  things  of  less  con- 
sequence ?  —  and  at  the  same  time  to  place  that 
confidence,  and  entertain  that  hope,  which  shall  an- 
imate us  to  exertion  ?  Hope  is  the  life  of  all  busi- 
ness ;  and  what  nobler  hope  can  we  have  than  the 
hope  of  eternal  life  ?      Being  persuaded  of  this 


PSALMS   AND   HYMXS.  221 

truth,  and  possessed  of  this  hope,  Ave  shall  pursue 
with  vigor  the  path  of  duty  ;  and  the  farther  we  ad- 
vance in  the  way  of  gospel  obedience,  the  more 
comfort  and  satisfaction  shall  we  find  :  the  '  righte- 
ous shall  hold  on  his  way,  and  he  that  hath  clean 
hands  shall  be  stronger  and  stronger.' — Job  xviii. 
9." 

In  this  year  Dr.  Belknap  issued  his  collection  of 
Psalms  and  Hymns.  This  compilation  was  gathered 
from  a  wider  range  of  authors  than  those  which  it  su- 
perseded ;  it  was  extensively  used  by  the  Congrega- 
tional churches  of  New  England  for  many  years,  and 
more  recent  compilers  have  acknowledged  its  value 
by  transferring  a  large  portion  of  its  contents  to  their 
pages.     The  author  says,  in  his  preface  : 

"  In  this  selection,  those  Christians  who  do  not 
scruple  to  sing  praises  to  their  Redeemer  and  Sancti- 
fier  will  find  materials  for  such  a  sublime  enjoyment ; 
whilst  others,  whose  tenderness  of  conscience  may 
oblige  them  to  confine  their  addresses  to  the  Father 
only,  will  find  no  deficiency  of  matter  suited  to  their 
idea  of  '  the  chaste  and  awful  spirit  of  devotion.'  " 

Several  of  the  hymns  are  of  his  own  composi- 
tion. Indeed,  he  freo^iently  wrote  occasional  verses 
for  the  entertainment  of  himself  and  friends  ;  but,  as 
he  never  considered  these  ephemeral  productions  as 
of  any  great  value,  it  has  been  thought  best  not  to 
introduce  any  of  them  into  this  volume,  with  the 
exception  of   a  fragment  found  among  his  papers 


222  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

after  his  decease,  which  was  published  in  the  obitu- 
ary notices  of  him  at  the  time,  and  is  inserted  in  its 
appropriate  place. 

The  readiness  of  Dr.  Belknap  to  help  all  who 
needed  or  asked  his  assistance  was  remarkable,  and 
induced  applications  from  more  indolent  persons,  who 
would  gladly  have  availed  themselves  of  his  labors, 
instead  of  their  own  exertions.  As  an  instance  of 
this,  a  gentleman  wrote  him  a  letter  from  Portland, 
to  the  following  effect : 

"  I  am  preparing  something  which  will  soon  be 
delivered  to  the  public.  I  find  myself  exceedingly 
cramped  by  the  want  of  books  this  way.  My  own 
library  is  trifling.  Will  you  permit  me,  for  a  mo- 
ment, to  intrude  upon  your  precious  time,  devoted 
to  religion  and  science,  by  the  following  requests  ? 

"  I  wish  to  have,  from  your  pen,  a  short  sketch 
of  the  rise  and  progress  of  the  causes  lohich  finally 
produced  the  declaration  of  independence,  4th  of 
July,  '76.  The  favor  shall  be  thankfully  and  pub- 
licly acknowledged.  What  men  of  science  have 
emigrated  to  this  country  since  the  revolution  ? 

"  If  ivithin  a  iveek.  Sir,  after  the  reception  of  this 
letter,  you  will  be  so  kind  as  to  gratify  me  in  my 
requests,  you  will  confer  an  essential  obligation 
upon  me. 

"  Reverend  Sir, 

"  With  perfect  esteem  and  obligation, 

"  I  am  yours,  for  ever" 


OCCUPATION    OF   HIS    TIME.  223 

This  modest  request  was  made  to  one  who,  "  not 
by  slighting  any  of  the  public  or  private  duties  of 
his  office,  but  by  superior  economy  of  time  and  in- 
dustry, seizing  the  early  hours  of  the  day,  superior 
to  the  enticements  of  indolence,  abhorring  idleness, 
finishing  whatever  study  or  inquiry  he  had  begun, 
and  using  recreations  and  visits  as  preparations  for 
serious  pursuits,  redeemed  leisure  to  carry  his  re- 
searches into  other  fields  of  literature,  suited  to 
gratify  his  taste,  and  increase  his  usefulness." — (Dr. 
Kirkland  on  Dr.  Belknap.) 

The  delay  of  the  above  letter  rendered  the  appli- 
cation unavailing,  as  it  did  not  reach  Dr.  Belknap 
until  after  the  time  had  elapsed  within  which  an 
answer  would  have  been  of  use. 

Of  the  constant  and  full  occupation  of  his  time, 
he  says,  in  a  letter  to  Dr.  Lettsom  : 

"  I  know  what  it  is  to  h&vefull  employment,  and 
that  a  man  who  wishes  to  fill  up  his  time  with  duty 
is  obliged  to  husband  his  hours,  and  even  to  borrow 
some  from  sleep  to  accomplish  his  purposes.  Were 
it  possible  to  buy  time  from  idlers  and  loungers, 
there  might  be  an  accommodating  bargain  on  both 
sides ;  but,  in  the  present  state  of  things,  we  must 
be  thankful  that  we  can  get  time  to  do  good  in  any 
way,  as  well  as  sorry  we  can  do  no  more.  He  who 
'  went  about  doing  good '  will  know  how  to  estimate 
our  services  to  his  brethren,  and  will  take  it  all  as 
done  to  himself.'' 


221  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKXAP. 

Dr.  Belknap's  dislike  to  controversy  is  pleasantly 
shown  in  the  reply  to  the  following  note : 

"Kind  Sir, 

"  In  the  year  1780  I  printed  a  piece  against 
your  discourse  from  John  xviii.  :  '  If  my  kingdom 
were  of  this  world,'  &c. ;  and  in  that  piece  I  han- 
dled you  severely. 

"  Now  if  you  was  right,  I  have  done  very  wrong, 
and  it  is  expedient  that  my  piece  should  be  an- 
swered, if  capable  of  an  answer :  therefore,  if  you 
are  able,  you  will  kindly  undertake  an  answer,  or  to 
show  the  error.  Otherwise,  my  cause  is  established, 
and  you  are  found  in  an  egregious  deception. 

"Nov.  9th,  1796.  W.  S." 

ANSWER. 

"  If  Mr.  S.  is  disposed  to  enter  into  contro- 
versy, he  is  very  unfortunate  in  the  choice  of  an 
antagonist  ;  for  if  his  performance  has  passed  six- 
teen years  without  a  reply,  it  is  not  probable  that  it 
will  receive  any  at  this  distance  of  time,  when  both 
that  and  the  sermon  which  gave  occasion  for  it,  are 
almost  forgotten.  Those  who  have  read  them  can 
judge  for  themselves." 


ANECDOTES.  225 

There  are  several  anecdotes  preserved  which 
illustrate  Dr.  Belknap's  character.  The  following 
was  related  to  the  writer  by  Rev.  Dr.  Parkman : 

"  A  clergyman  of  a  neighboring  town,  who  was 
a  native  of  Charlestown,  had  been  very  imprudent, 
when  young,  in  building  a  house  beyond  his  means, 
and  was  very  unhappy  that  he  could  not  pay  the 
laborers  employed  upon  it.  He  went  to  see  his 
friend,  and  told  him  his  troubles,  not  without  a  few 
tears,  for  he  was  easily  moved.  Dr.  Belknap,  after 
hearing  his  story,  took  from  his  desk  and  gave  him 
a  classical  medal,  with  an  unfinished  or  broken 
tower  upon  it,  and  a  motto,  signifying  the  wisdom 
of  one  who  commences  no  more  than  he  is  able  to 
complete  ;  as  though  he  would  say  to  him,  for  he  was 
himself  poor,  '  Silver  and  gold  have  I  none,  but 
such  as  I  have  give  I  unto  thee.'  The  clergyman 
went  away,  feeling  that  he  had  received  a  rebuke, 
mild  and  classical,  but  nevertheless  a  rebuke  from 
his  friend.  In  a  few  days  came  round  the  Thurs- 
day Lecture  ;  after  which,  Dr.  Belknap  sought  his 
friend,  and  said  to  him, 

"  You  must  dine  to-day  with  Mr.  Thomas  Rus- 
sel,  the  rich  merchant." 

"  I  do  not  know  him,  I  am  afraid  to  go,"  was  the 
reply. 

"  But  you  must :  he  expects  you,  and  politeness 
requires  that  you  should." 

Conquering  his  timidity,  the  clergyman  accepted 
15 


226  LIFE    OF   DP-.    BELKNAP. 

the  invitation ;  and  after  dinner.  Mr.  Russell  inquired 
into  the  state  of  his  affairs,  and  when  he  was  informed, 
asked  what  sum  would  relieve  him. 

"  I  do  not  know,"  was  the  reply  ;  "  but  I  think 
four  hundred  dollars  would  make  me  a  happy  man." 

The  benevolent  merchant  gave  him  a  check  for 
five  hundred  dollars,  saying  : 

"  You  may  repay  it  when  you  are  able,  and 
never,  if  you  are  never  able.  Dr.  Belknap  told  me 
of  your  distress,  and  I  am  happy  to  be  able  to 
relieve  you." 

During  the  revolution,  while  poverty  pressed 
heavily  upon  nearly  all  the  inhabitants,  a  man  in 
Dover  had  the  large  buttons  on  his  coat  made  of 
sole  leather,  and  came  to  show  them  to  Dr.  Bel- 
knap. 

"  There,"  said  he,  pointing  to  his  leather  substi- 
tutes, "  you  see  I  am  not  proud :  I  have  leather 
buttons." 

"  I  see  no  proof  of  that,"  was  the  reply ;  "  I  think 
you  are  proud  of  your  humility." 

A  rough  countryman  asked  him,  one  day,  if  he 
really  believed  there  was  such  a  man  as  Job.  The 
Doctor  took  the  Bible,  and  bade  him  read. 

"  There  was  a  man  in  the  land  of  Uz,  whose 
name  was  Job." 

"  You  see  the  Bible  says  so." 

"  So  it  does,"  drawled  out  the  man  ;  "  and  I  am 
Sure  I  don  't  know  any  thing  to  the  contrary." 


ANECDOTES.  227 

"  Neither  do  I,"  said  Dr.  Belknap,  and  thus 
ended  the  inquiry. 

In  a  mixed  company,  hearing  a  person  speak  in  a 
very  free  manner  against  the  Christian  religion,  he 
asked, 

"  Have  you  found  one  that  is  better  ?"  And,  the 
reply  being  in  the  negative,  added, 

"  When  you  do,  let  me  know,  and  I  will  join 
you  in  adopting  it." 


228  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

CHAPTER  IX. 

1796  —  1798. 

Convention  Sermon. — Missionary  visit  to  the  Oneida 
Indians.  — Letters  from  Dr.  Clarke.  —  Corres- 
pondence ivith  Mrs.  John  Adams. — Expedition 
to  Cuttyhunk.  —  Last  Illness  and  Death.  — 
CJiaracter.  —  Theological  Opinions.  — Notice  of 
Mrs.  Belknnp.  —  Dr.  Belknap's  Life  of  Dr. 
Watts. 

Dr.  Belknap's  sermon  before  the  convention  of  • 
the  clergy  in  Boston,  May  26th,  1796,  has  been 
referred  to  previously,  as  giving  a  fair  representa- 
tion of  the  trials  of  a  minister  in  our  community  at 
that  period,  many  of  which  are  equally  real  at  the 
present  time,  as  a  few  extracts  will  prove. 

"  Both  our  public  performances  and  our  private 
conversation  are  exposed  to  the  attacks  of  malicious, 
cavilling,  and  prejudiced  tempers  ;  and  he  must  be 
more  than  human,  who  can  behave  so  uprightly  and 
circumspectly  as  in  all  cases  to  avoid  giving  offence, 
especially  when  we  consider  that  we  can  recommend 
no  duty  but  what  some  person  neglects,  and  con- 
demn no  sin  but  what  some  person  commits." 

Concerning  the  treatment  of  political  subjects  in 
the  pulpit,  he  makes  the  following  observations  : 

4  'Another  of  the   afflictions  to  which  wo  are  ex~ 


EXTRACTS   FROM   CONVENTION   SERMON.      229 

posed  is  the  resentment  of  pretended  patriots,  when 
we  oppose  their  views  in  endeavoring  to  serve  our 
country.  There  is  a  monopolizing  spirit  in  some 
politicians,  which  would  exclude  clergymen  from  all 
attention  to  matters  of  state  and  government ;  which 
would  prohibit  us  from  bringing  political  subjects 
into  the  pulpit,  and  even  threaten  us  with  the  loss 
of  our  livings,  if  we  move  at  all  in  the  political 
sphere.  But,  my  brethren,  I  consider  politics  as 
indirectly  connected  with  morality,  and  both  with 
religion.  If  the  political  character  of  a  people  is 
bad,  their  morals  are  equally  bad,  and  their  religion 
is  good  for  nothing.  The  same  man  who  appears  in 
the  character  of  a  politician  is  also  a  subject  of 
moral  government,  and  a  candidate  for  immortality. 
Therefore,  if  he  act  right  or  wrong  as  a  politician, 
he  acts  equally  right  or  wrong  as  a  subject  of  God's 
moral  government ;  his  character  as  a  politician 
will  be  brought  into  the  grand  review  at  the  last 
day,  and  his  future  state  will  be  determined  accord- 
ingly. This  doctrine,  I  am  sensible,  is  not  agreea- 
ble to  the  practice  of  some  men,  who  act  with  a 
tolerable  regard  to  the  principles  of  morality  in  their 
common  business  ;  but,  when  they  get  into  a  political 
body,  relax  their  ideas  of  morality,  and  endeavor 
to  carry  a  point  by  any  means  whatever.  Against 
such  an  idea  of  politics  I  think  it  my  duty  to  pro- 
test ;  for  I  believe  that  honesty  is  the  best  policy, 
both  in  private  and  public  life.     *    *    *     * 


230  LIFE   OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

"It  is  very  strange  that  we  may  not  preach  on 
the  same  subjects  which  are  recommended  to  us  as 
subjects  of  prayer.  In  the  annual  proclamations 
for  fasts  and  thanksgivings,  we  are  exhorted  to  pray 
and  give  thanks  on  a  great  variety  of  political  sub- 
jects, foreign  and  domestic.  And  what  good  reason 
can  be  given  why  the  same  subjects  should  not  be 
discoursed  on,  as  well  as  prayed  over  ?  It  is  ex- 
pected, that  we  bring  them  into  the  pulpit  in  our 
prayers,  and  it  is  by  some  people  highly  resented  if 
we  do  not.  When  we  have  them  in  our  mind  as 
proper  subjects  for  devotion,  why  should  we  not 
speak  and  discourse  on  them  for  the  instruction  of 
our  hearers  ?  Must  we  make  an  address  to  God  on 
political  subjects,  and  may  we  not  make  an  address 
to  our  brethren  on  the  same  subjects  ?  I  would  not 
be  guilty  of  so  strange  an  inconsistency. 

"It  should  be  considered  that  we  are  men  of 
like  passions  with  others.  We  feel  ourselves  inter- 
ested equally  with  our  brethren  in  the  same  relig- 
ious, moral,  and  political  matters  ;  and  where  there 
is  freedom  of  speech,  as  I  trust  there  always  will  be 
in  this  happy  country,  we  ought  not  to  be  blamed 
if  we  use  the  liberty  of  Americans  to  speak  our 
minds  at  proper  times,  and  in  a  decent  manner,  on 
political  as  well  as  on  moral  and  religious  topics. 

"  But  '  there  is  a  generation  that  are  pure  in 
their  own  eyes,  though  their  teeth  are  as  swords  ! 9 
And  how  liberal  are  some  tongues,  some  pens,  and 


EXTRACTS  FROM  CONVENTION  SERMON.   231 

some  presses,  with  their  abuse,  when  we  appear 
warm  and  zealous  in  the  cause  of  our  country  ! 
When  we  speak  or  write  in  support  of  its  liberties, 
its  constitution,  its  peace,  and  its  honor,  we  are  stig- 
matized as  busybodies,  as  tools  of  a  party,  as  med- 
dling with  what  does  not  belong  to  us,  and  usurping 
authority  over  our  brethren. 

"  Whatever  may  be  the  views  of  those  who  are 
of  a  different  opinion  from  me  respecting  this  matter, 
yet  I  consider  their  principle,  that  the  clergy  have 
no  right  to  meddle  with  politics,  and  their  endeavor 
to  stop  our  mouths,  as  '  pregnant  with  mischief,' 
tending  to  keep  the  people  in  ignorance,  and  expos- 
ing them  to  be  misled  by  those  who  would  always 
pretend  that  the  people  shall  govern,  provided  that 
they  shall  govern  the  people. 

"  The  time  has  been  when  some  of  these  same 
persons  were  very  fond  of  engaging  the  clergy  in 
politics,  encouraging  them  to  write  and  preach,  or, 
to  use  a  phrase  of  their  own,  '  blow  the  trumpet,'  in 
defence  of  the  liberties  of  their  country.  But,  alas  ! 
how  changed,  how  fallen!  From  such  politicians 
and  such  patriots,  the  good  Lord  deliver  us  !  " 

The  phrase,  "blow  the  trumpet,"  is  taken  from 
the  thirty-third  chapter  of  the  prophet  Ezekiel, 
where  it  is  made  the  duty  of  a  watchman  to  give 
warning  of  an  approaching  enemy  by  this  means  ; 
and  during  the  revolution  it  was  applied  to  the 
clergy,  who  were  urged  to  encourage  and  support 


232  LIFE   OF    DR.   BELKNAP. 

the  people,  by  preaching  in  aid  of  the  cause  of 
liberty. 

The  following  paragraph  is  not  without  more  mod- 
ern application  : 

"  It  is  a  fact,  confirmed  by  long  and  repeated  ex- 
perience, that  the  work  which  we  are  obliged  to  do, 
and  the  trials  which  we  are  called  to  endure,  are 
more  wasting  to  the  health  and  spirits,  than  any 
kind  of  bodily  labor  which  men  usually  perform. 
Exercise  of  body  tends  to  confirm  and  establish 
the  health  ;  but  the  exercise  of  the  mind,  which  falls 
to  our  lot,  often  proves  ruinous  to  the  health,  and 
wears  away  the  constitution  in  a  most  unaccounta- 
ble manner.  The  thoughtfulness,  the  watchfulness, 
the  self-denial,  the  anxiety,  the  close  application, 
and  intense  stretch  of  the  mental  powers,  in  deep 
study  and  contemplation,  which  form  an  essential 
part  of  our  work,  are  exercises  unknown  to  the  bulk 
of  mankind.  If,  on  any  particular  occasion,  they 
are  called  to  such  kind  of  labor,  how  painful  and 
tedious  is  it  to  them,  and  how  eagerly  do  they  em- 
brace the  first  opportunity  to  get  rid  of  it !  But  it 
is  our  constant  employment.  The  inward  labor  of 
our  mind,  our  conflicts  with  our  own  corruptions, 
and  our  application  to  sacred  studies,  are  objects 
which  the  world  does  not  see,  and  therefore  can 
form  no  idea  of  them.  Our  public  discourses  are 
the  result  of  deep  thought  and  strict  inquiry  ;  and 
yet  how  often  does  it  happen,  that  those  discourses 


MISSION   TO   THE   INDIANS.  233 

are  least  regarded ;  whilst  the  tinsel  trumpery  of 
him  '  that  beateth  the  air  '  is  admired  as  the  per- 
fection of  wisdom  and  rhetoric  !  The  beaten  oil  of 
the  sanctuary  is  quickly  consumed,  and  its  light  ap- 
pears to  have  been  spent  in  vain  ;  whilst  the  twink- 
ling of  an  ignis  fatuus  shall  draw  after  it  crowds  of 
admirers  !  If  our  brethren  did  but  know  the  labor, 
the  patience,  the  self-application,  the  trials  and  dis- 
couragements which  fall  to  our  lot,  they  would  pity 
us,  and  pray  for  us,  rather  than  think  our  work  light 
and  easy." 

In  1796,  the  Board  of  Commissioners  of  the 
Society  established  in  Scotland,  for  Propagating 
Christian  Knowledge,  chose  Dr.  Belknap  and  Dr. 
Morse  a  committee  to  visit  the  Indians  who  were 
objects  of  their  mission  at  Oneida  and  New  Stock- 
bridge.  This  required  a  long  and  tedious  journey 
of  near  six  hundred  miles  in  the  heat  of  summer, 
and  occupied  nearly  a  month.  Dr.  Belknap  left 
Boston  on  the  9th  of  June,  and  returned  the  6th  of 
July.  The  report  which  was  made  to  the  Commis- 
sioners was  drawn  up  by  him,  and  is  published  in 
the  Historical  Society's  Collections. 

From  Boston  to  Albany  was  five  days'  journey, 
including  the  Sabbath,  which  was  passed  at  Pitts- 
field,  where  he  preached  for  Mr.  Allen.  At  New 
Lebanon,  the  condition  of  the  Springs  seems  to  have 
been  much  the  same  as  now  ;  they  had  been  in  repu- 


234  LIFE   OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

tation  about  thirty  years,  there  were  several  boarding- 
houses  in  the  vicinity,  and  a  considerable  resort  of 
people  from  all  parts. 

In  going  over  the  mountains  in  Berkshire,  the 
carriage  broke  down  twice  ;  but  no  great  damage 
was  done,  except  a  little  detention  and  working  in 
the  rain  to  repair  it.  An  account  of  this  was  prob- 
ably written  to  his  friend,  Dr.  Clarke,  which  occa- 
sioned the  following  reply : 

"  Our  brothers  are  well,  and  do  not  forget  you  at 
their  social  meetings.  Do  write  often,  and  let  all 
your  letters  assure  us,  that,  though  your  carriage 
breaks  down,  your  bones  are  whole  ;  though  your 
beds  are  hard,  your  sleep  is  sound  ;  though  your  fare 
is  coarse,  your  hunger  is  allayed  ;  and,  though  you 
part  with  your  money,  you  keep  your  spirits." 

At  Albany  he  was  invited  by  Lieutenant-Governor 
Van  Rensellaer  to  lodge  at  his  house,  and  General 
Schuyler  took  him  in  his  carriage  to  Schenectady ; 
whereupon  Dr.  Clarke  writes  : 

"  Before  this  reaches  you,  your  mind  will  be  at 
ease,  both  as  to  your  family  and  your  pulpit.  It 
seems  indeed  to  be  at  ease  already,  if  I  may  judge 
from  the  tenor  of  your  last  letter.  Caressed  by 
generals  and  lieutenant-governors,  visiting  classic 
cities  and  breathing  classic  air,  I  think  vou  have 


MISSION   TO   THE   INDIANS.  235 

enough  to  make  you  happy.  How  insignificant 
must  Boston  have  appeared  to  your  imagination 
when  you  were  at  Rome  !  What  majestic  ideas 
must  have  possessed  your  mind  when  you  were  at 
Troy !  And  how  must  Jerusalem  have  belittled  all 
other  cities  which  you  have  visited  in  the  course 
of  your  travels  !  I  anticipate  a  most  entertaining 
volume  of  travels  as  the  fruit  of  your  excursion. 
Do  be  very  particular  in  your  description  of  customs 
and  manners.  Let  your  readers  know,  whether  at 
Rome  you  did  as  the  Romans  do  ;  whether  you  met 
with  any  Hectors  at  Troy,  or  were  regaled  with 
pork  at  Jerusalem." 

The  information  gained  concerning  the  Indians  is 
contained  in  the  printed  report.  Dr.  Belknap  was 
fully  convinced  of  the  hopelessness  of  the  endeavors 
to  make  them  conform  to  the  religion  and  mode  of 
life  of  the  Whites ;  and  this  probably  induced  him 
to  relinquish  his  connection  with  the  society,  which 
he  did,  not  long  after.  They  had  no  habits  of  indus- 
try, and  thought  it  degrading  to  cultivate  the  soil ; 
"  they  must  lay  aside  the  character  of  hunters,  be- 
cause their  game  is  gone,  and  its  haunts  are  rendered 
infinitely  more  valuable  by  cultivation.  They  can- 
not be  warriors,  because  they  have  no  enemies  to 
contend  with.  If,  therefore,  they  continue  to  despise 
husbandry,  the  only  remaining  source  of  opulence 
and  independence,  they  must  either  retire  to  some 


236  LIFE  OF  DR.    BELKNAP. 

distant  region  of  the  American  forest,  or  live  as 
spendthrifts  on  the  price  of  their  lands  ;  or  become 
strollers  and  beggars  ;  till,  like  their  brethren  of 
Natick,  they  shall  cease  to  have  any  political  exist- 
ence among  mankind." 

This  melancholy  anticipation  has  been  fully  real- 
ized ;  and  in  the  midst  of  our  happy  homes  and  cul- 
tivated fields,  our  civilized  society,  and  our  Christian 
philanthropy,  the  history  of  the  past  will  call  forth  a 
sigh  for  the  sad  destiny  of  the  Indians,  the  original 
possessors  of  our  country ;  upon  whom,  notwith- 
standing the  most  earnest  endeavors  to  improve 
their  condition,  the  presence  and  prosperity  of  the 
white  man  has  brought  inevitable  destruction. 

The  wife  of  President  Adams  was  one  of  the  cor- 
respondents of  Dr.  Belknap,  during  the  last  months 
of  his  life ;  and  the  following  are  extracts  from  some 
of  their  letters. 

FROM   MRS.    ADAMS. 

"Philadelphia,  May,  1798. 

*  *  *  *  « I  take  the  liberty,  Sir,  of 
sending  you  a  work  lately  reprinted  here  :  it  is  called 
"  Proofs  of  a  Conspiracy  against  all  the  Religions  and 
Governments  of  Europe,  by  John  Robison,  A.M. 
Professor  of  Natural  Philosophy,  and  Secretary  to 
the  Royal  Society  of  Edinburgh."  It  ought  to  be  in 
the  hands  of  every  man  of  science  in  America,  as  a 
key  to  the  mighty  revolutions  which  astonish  the 


CORRESPONDENCE    WITH    MRS.    ADAMS.        2i>l 

world  ;  and  as  a  proof,  if  one  could  be  wanting,  that 
no  free  government  can  stand,  which  is  not  sup- 
ported by  religion  and  virtue. 

"  That  our  country  may  still  be  preserved  from 
that  dissolution  of  religion,  government,  and  man- 
ners, which  by  the  French  revolution  is  spread- 
ing through  the  world,  and  laying  them  all  prostrate, 
is  devoutly  to  be  prayed  for  by  every  friend  of 
humanity.  That  your  health  may  be  preserved  and 
your  life  of  usefulness  continued,  to  aid,  as  it  has 
hitherto  done,  both  religion  and  virtue  in  the  world, 
is  the  sincere  and  ardent  wish  of  her  who  subscribes 
herself 

"  Your  friend  and  humble  servant, 

"  Abigail  Adams." 

reply. 

"Boston,  May  30th,  1798. 

"Dear  Madam, 

"  Yesterday  morning,  I  had  the  honor  of 
writing  to  the  President,  and  enclosing  a  copy 
of  my  Fast  sermon.  At  noon  I  had  the  very  great 
pleasure  of  voting  for  him  as  President  of  the 
Academy,  and  of  hearing  his  election  announced  by 
an  unanimous  vote  ;  and,  before  night,  I  received 
your  obliging  favor,  with  the  book  enclosed.  *  *  * 
Your  kind  wishes  for  my  health  and  usefulness  re- 
quire my  warmest  acknowledgments  of  gratitude. 


238  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

It  is  every  one's  duty,  at  this  critical  time,  to  say 
and  do  all  in  his  power  to  serve  his  country  in  its 
political  and  religious  interests  ;  and  I  hope  I  shall 
not  be  backward  in  performing  mine.  Should  there 
be  any  services  in  my  power  for  the  cause  of  truth, 
virtue,  liberty,  and  humanity,  or  the  public  safety, 
I  shall  be  happy  to  receive  your  commands,  or  those 
of  the  man  you  love  best. 

"  After  our  last  Commencement,  I  sent  Governor 
Wentworth  one  of  our  catalogues,  and  mentioned  to 
him  the  pleasure  I  took  in  seeing  the  names  of  two 
of  my  friends  printed  in  capitals,  in  the  class  of 
1755,  and  also  repeated  some  expressions  of  affec- 
tionate regard  toward  him,  which  I  had  heard  a 
little  before  from  the  President.  I  added,  respect- 
ing the  latter,  that  I  felt  very  happy  in  his  advance- 
ment to  the  chief  magistracy  of  the  Union,  because 
I  believed  there  was  as  much,  or  more  political  wis- 
dom in  his  head  than  in  any  or  all  of  the  crowned 
heads  of  Europe.  His  answer,  which  was  not  de- 
signed for  any  eye  but  mine,  I  take  the  liberty  of 
sending  for  your  perusal.     (See  p.  202.) 

"  Notwithstanding  the  dark  and  threatening  as- 
pect in  the  political  hemisphere,  yet,  under  the  pres- 
ent executive  administration,  I  have  as  much  tran- 
quillity of  mind  as  iEneas  enjoyed  when  navigating 
the  strait  between  Italy  and  Sicily,  under  the  con- 
duct of  Palinurus,  while  Scylla  and  Charybdis 
frowned  on  either  side,  and  iEtna  thundered  over 


CORRESPONDENCE  WITH  MRS.  ADAMS.   239 

his  head.  I  pray  most  sincerely  for  the  preserva- 
tion of  the  life,  health,  and  vigor  of  our  Palinurus, 
and  hope  he  will  not  think  of  a  retreat,  till,  like 
his  friend  Washington,  he  shall  have  the  prospect  of 
a  successor  to  whom  the  helm  may  be  safely  trusted. 
Let  his  heart  be  fixed,  and  his  confidence  be  in  that 
Almighty  power  which  i  rides  the  whirlwind  and  di- 
rects the  storm.'  I  think  nothing  would  be  a  more 
proper  subject  of  his  contemplation  than  the  text  of 
John  Cotton's  election  sermon  in  1633,  which  you 
may  find  in  the  book  of  Haggai,  chap.  ii.  ver.  4." 

The  text  referred  to  is  this : 

"  Yet  now  be  strong,  0  Zerubbabel,  saith  the 
Lord ;  and  be  strong,  0  Joshua,  son  of  Josedech, 
the  high  priest ;  and  be  strong,  all  ye  people  of  the 
land,  saith  the  Lord,  and  work :  for  I  am  with  you, 
saith  the  Lord  of  hosts." 

FROM  MRS.  ADAMS. 

"Philadelphia,  June  11th,  1798. 

"Dear  Sir, 

"  The  President  was  gratified  in  reading  the 
expressions  of  friendship  and  kindness  liberally  be- 
stowed by  the  friend  and  companion  of  his  youthful 
years.  The  school  and  the  college  are  the  sources 
of  the  dearest  friendships  ;  the  heart  is  then  open 
to  strong  and  deep  attachments,  and,  where  it  meets 
with  congenial  sentiments,  forms  unions  which  death 


240  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

itself  does  not  dissolve.  I  have  seen  these  attach- 
ments transferred  to  the  children,  and  this  is  one 
among  many  other  advantages  derived  from  a  public 
education. 

"  The  President  joins  his  friend  in  the  sentiment 
expressed  by  him,  that  kings  and  princes  have  not 
an  equal  chance  with  their  subjects  ;  from  the  re- 
sponsibility of  their  stations,  their  knowledge  and 
talents  are  often  unjustly  estimated  ;  they  are  fre- 
quently obliged  to  hear  with  the  ears  of  those  most 
interested  to  deceive  them,  and  to  see  with  eyes  be- 
fore which  a  veil  is  drawn. 

"  The  President  directs  me  to  assure  Dr.  Belknap 
that  he  has  no  intention  of  becoming  an  imitator  of 
Palinurus,  by  falling  asleep,  and  losing  the  helm 
napping ;  though  he  will  willingly  resign  it  to  a 
more  watchful  and  skilful  pilot. " 

On  the  20th  of  June,  1797,  Dr.  Belknap  sailed 
from  Xew  Bedford  to  ascertain,  if  possible,  the 
island  discovered  by  Gosnold,  in  1602,  which  in  the 
first  volume  of  the  American  Biography  is  supposed 
to  be  Xashawn.  Finding  this  supposition  incorrect, 
he  went  himself,  with  several  other  gentlemen,  to 
Cutty  hunk,  where  he  had  the  "  supreme  satisfac- 
tion "  to  find  the  remains  of  the  cellar  of  Gosnold's 
storehouse  "  on  an  islet  in  the  middle  of  a  pond  of 
fresh  water,"  as  described  in  Gosnold's  journal. 

The  more  accurate  information  gained  by  this 


HIS  DEATH.  241 

visit  to  the  spot  required  so  great  an  alteration  in 
the  life  of  Gosnold,  which  had  been  given  in  the 
first  volume,  that  he  re-wrote  it  for  the  second, 
where  a  description  of  the  island  may  be  found, 
page  114. 

We  are  now  approaching  the  last  scene  of  Dr. 
Belknap's  life.  For  a  year  before  his  death,  he  was 
conscious  that  each  moment  might  be  his  last,  and 
he  prepared  himself  and  others  for  the  final  event. 
His  correspondence  during  this  time  frequently  ex- 
presses the  entire  uncertainty  he  felt  of  the  contin- 
uance of  his  earthly  existence.  Two  slight  attacks 
of  paralysis,  which  did  not  impair  his  activity  of 
body  or  mind,  impressed  him  with  the  necessity  of 
being  in  readiness  for  the  call  of  his  Divine  Master ; 
and  he  redoubled  his  diligence,  that  he  might  ac- 
complish the  more  in  the  short  time  allowed  him. 
In  April,  1798,  his  friend  Dr.  Clarke  died  ;  and  he 
preached  the  funeral  sermon,  and  wrote  a  sketch  of 
his  life  and  character  for  the  Historical  Society's 
Collections.  When  it  appeared  in  their  next  publica- 
tion, his  own  character,  by  the  hand  of  another 
friend,  Dr.  John  Eliot,  accompanied  it. 

On  the  morning  of  the  20th  June,  1798,  at  four 
o'clock,  he  was  attacked  with  apoplexy,  which  de- 
prived him  of  the  powers  of  speech  and  motion ; 
and  he  died  before  eleven. 

The  manner  of  his  death  was  singularly  in  ac- 
cordance with  his  own  preference,  expressed  in  the 
16 


242  LIFE   OF  DR.    BELKNAP. 

fragment  of  poetry  previously  mentioned.     It  is  as 
follows  : 

u  When  faith  and  patience,  hope  and  love, 
Have  made  us  meet  for  heaven  above, 
How  blest  the  privilege  to  rise, 
Snatched  in  a  moment  to  the  skies ! 
Unconscious,  to  resign  our  breath, 
Nor  taste  the  bitterness  of  death. 
Such  be  my  lot,  Lord,  if  thou  please, 
To  die  in  silence  and  at  ease. 
When  thou  dost  know  that  I  'm  prepared, 
O  seize  me  quick  to  my  reward. 
But  if  thy  wisdom  sees  it  best 
To  turn  thine  ear  from  this  request  — 
If  sickness  be  the  appointed  way, 
To  waste  this  frame  of  human  clay ; 
If,  worn  with  grief  and  racked  with  pain, 
This  earth  must  turn  to  earth  again  ; 
Then  let  thine  angels  round  me  stand  — 
Support  me  by  thy  powerful  hand ; 
Let  not  my  faith  or  patience  move, 
Xor  aught  abate  my  hope  or  love ; 
But  brighter  may  my  graces  shine, 
Till  they  're  absorbed  in  light  divine." 

The  funeral  took  place  on  the  22d  of  June.  Dr. 
Kirkland  preached  on  the  occasion  a  sermon  which 
expressed  the  sorrow  of  the  community  for  the  loss 
of  one  so  loved  and  honored.  Though  many  years 
have  since  passed  away,  the  influence  exerted  upon 
society  by  the  life  of  such  a  man  does  not  cease 


HIS   CHARACTER.  243 

-with  his  breath.  He  was  an  earnest  and  successful 
laborer  in  the  cause  of  learning  and  literature.  To 
such  men  as  Dr.  Belknap  we  owe  the  advantages 
now  possessed  by  the  inquirer  into  the  past  history 
of  our  country.  His  patriotism  was  pure  and  fear- 
less, and  he  was  ever  ready  to  devote  himself  to 
his  country's  good.  He  was  not  remarkable  for  a 
splendid  intellect  or  a  wonderful  genius,  wrhose 
flights  were  beyond  the  comprehension  of  ordi- 
nary mortals,  but  for  a  character  harmonious  in 
all  its  parts ;  an  industry  unceasingly  exerted  to 
promote  the  noblest  objects ;  a  nice  discernment  and 
discretion  which  tempered  his  natural  enthusiasm ; 
a  heart  truly  beneficent,  delighting  to  bless  all  within 
the  sphere  of  its  influence  ;  and  a  life  of  purity  and 
unaflected  piety  and  devotion  to  his  calling  as  a  min- 
ister of  the  Gospel.  He  considered  this  relation  as 
the  noblest  that  man  could  sustain  to  his  fellow-man ; 
and  he  faithfully  fulfilled  its  requirements  from  the 
time  when  he  entered  upon  its  sacred  duties,  to  the 
last  hours  of  his  earthly  existence. 

As  a  preacher,  he  was  earnest  in  his  exhortations, 
but  simple  in  his  manner  of  address.  His  voice  was 
clear  and  well  modulated  ;  but  he  used  no  gesticu- 
lations to  enforce  his  arguments.  His  sermons  were 
eminently  practical,  and  his  aim  was  to  improve  the 
hearts  and  lives  of  his  people,  rather  than  to  disturb 
their  minds  with  the  discussion  of  controverted 
points  of  Christian  doctrine.     His  death  took  place 


244  LIFE   OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

before  the  fever  of  controversy,  which  has  since  so 
■widely  separated  the  congregational  churches  of 
New  England,  reached  its  height ;  and  much  curi- 
osity has  been  felt  and  expressed  as  to  the  probable 
course  he  would  have  pursued,  had  his  life  been 
spared.  Thus  much  may  be  said  with  safety,  that 
he  condemned  no  man  for  speculative  opinions.  His 
own  views  of  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  are  given 
in  the  conclusion  to  a  Life  of  Dr.  Watts,  which  he 
wrote  and  published  a  few  years  before  his  death. 
It  was  published  anonymously  in  1793,  together  with 
a  Life  of  Dr.  Doddridge  by  Andrew  Kippis ;  and 
the  title  of  the  volume  is,  "  Life  of  Watts  and 
Doddridge."  It  has  now  become  quite  a  scarce 
book.  The  Conclusion  is  added  to  this  memoir,  as 
containing  Dr.  Belknap's  views  on  this  subject,  which 
he  said  were  the  result  of  thirty  years'  study. 

Dr.  Belknap  at  his  death  left  a  widow  and  five 
children;  three  of  whom,  one  daughter  and  two 
sons,  are  still  living. 

This  volume  cannot  be  fitly  concluded  without  a 
tribute  to  the  memory  of  the  worthy  and  beloved 
companion  of  more  than  thirty  years  of  his  life. 
She  died  January  20th,  1809.  The  following  no- 
tice of  her  character  was  written,  at  the  time  of  her 
decease,  by  the  late  Hon.  John  Davis,  always  a 
highly  valued  friend  of  the  family. 

"  The  amiable  qualities  and  endowments  of  this 
respectable  lady  deservedly  gained  her  the  love  and 


CHARACTER  OF  MRS.  BELKNAP.      245 

esteem  of  her  family  and  friends.  To  a  cheerful, 
social,  and  friendly  temper,  she  added  the  solid  at- 
tractions of  a  cultivated  mind  ;  and  her  deportment 
was  uniformly  regulated  by  the  religion  which  she 
professed.  For  many  years  the  estimable  compan- 
ion of  a  man  of  distinguished  reputation  in  the 
church  and  in  the  literary  world,  she  cherished  his 
memory  with  reverence  and  affection.  It  was  often 
the  occupation  of  her  leisure  hours  to  examine,  ar- 
range, and  peruse  his  extensive  manuscript  collec- 
tions, and  to  indulge  a  fond  attention  to  his  favorite 
objects,  by  a  recurrence  to  his  valuable  library. 
These  characteristics  rendered  her  an  interesting 
companion  to  those  who  had  the  pleasure  of  an  ac- 
quaintance with  that  ornament  to  our  country ;  it 
was  a  source  of  satisfaction  to  converse  with  her  on 
his  character,  publications,  and  pursuits ;  for,  in 
temper  and  in  taste,  she  appeared  the  '  softened 
image '  of  their  departed  friend.  Since  his  decease, 
her  society  has  been  limited  to  a  small  circle  of 
friends,  who  will  gratefully  remember  the  sincere 
and  affectionate  interest  which  she  manifested  in 
their  welfare.  The  duties  of  her  station  she  dis- 
charged with  fidelity  and  propriety ;  the  sorrows  of 
life  she  sustained  with  composure  ;  enjoyed  its  vari- 
ous blessings  with  grateful  cheerfulness  ;  and,  during 
her  last  brief  but  severe  illness,  exhibited  the  peace- 
ful serenity  and  humble  hopes  which  the  Gospel 
inspires."  . 


246  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKXAP. 


The  fragment  which  follows  in  relation  to  the 
opinions  of  Dr.  Watts,  has  an  interest  in  connection 
with  that  controversy  which  began  in  the  New  Eng- 
land churches  during  Dr.  Belknap's  ministry,  though 
it  did  not  during  his  life  involve  the  acrimony  which 
afterwards  attached  to  it.  He  took  no  very  promi- 
nent part  in  the  controversy.  After  Dr.  Watts's 
death,  much  was  said  and  written  about  his  precise 
views  on  the  subject  of  the  Trinity,  and  it  was  un- 
derstood that  he  had  modified  the  opinions  of  which 
in  his  early  years  he  had  been  a  prominent  advocate. 
The  fact  that  his  Psalms  and  Hymns  were  used  so 
extensively  in  the  New  England  churches,  and  that 
precisely  the  same  modifications  of  theological  opin- 
ion through  which  he  was  said  to  have  passed  were 
in  progress  here,  turned  much  attention  toward  him. 
Dr.  Belknap,  in  the  preface  to  his  own  collection  of 
sacred  poetry  for  the  churches,  had  adverted  to  the 
extreme  views  of  the  Trinity  maintained  by  Dr. 
Watts  ;  and,  of  course,  his  own  attention  was  partic- 
ularly engaged  in  the  matter.  It  was  known  that 
Dr.  Watts  had  expressed  a  wish  to  soften  and  modi- 
fy some  of  the  expressions  used  by  him  in  some  of 
his  poems,  though  the  liberty  to  do  so  had  been 
denied  him  by  the  holder  of  the  copyright. 

In  the  following  piece,  therefore,  it  was  the  object 
of  Dr.  Belknap  to  state  the  precise  views  held  by 
Dr.  Watts  on  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity.     It  will 


HIS  VIEW  OF  DR.  WATTS'  OPIXIOXS.  2-17 

be  found,  on  perusal,  to  be  a  rather  perplexed  and 
abstruse  statement.  Its  perplexity,  however,  is  inci- 
dent to  its  subject.  Many  sermons  of  the  same  sub- 
stance and  tenor  were  delivered  at  the  time  ;  and,  if 
they  did  not  minister  to  edification,  they  at  least 
served  to  show  that  there  was  abundant  room  for  the 
exercise  of  charity  upon  subjects  which  it  was  bo 
difficult  to  state  with  perspicuity. 

"  On  a  review  of  this  publication,  so  far  as  it  re- 
spects Dr.  Wafcts's  notion  of  the  Trinity  (which,  I 
confess,  it  was  a  leading  object  with  me  to  bring  for- 
ward), I  can  easily  imagine  that  some  intelligent 
readers  will  be  dissatisfied,  and  will  think  his  scheme 
liable  to  equal  objections  with  other  schemes.  I  do 
not  apprehend  that  it  is  incumbent  on  me  to  defend 
it,  nor  am  I  sanguine  in  my  opinion  that  it  is  the 
true  one  :  though  I  confess  that,  in  the  main,  it  ap- 
pears to  me  at  present  to  be  nearer  the  truth  than 
that  commonly  received  as  orthodox,  which  main- 
tains three  real  persons,  or  distinct  intelligent  beings, 
in  the  Godhead.  If  I  am  mistaken,  I  should  be 
truly  glad  to  be  better  informed.  Err  are  possum, 
Saereticus  esse  nolo.  As  I  can  have  no  interest  to 
serve  in  opposing  any  article  of  sound  doctrine, 
neither  have  I  any  ] Measure  in  dissenting  from  pop- 
ular opinions  or  modes  of  speech.  I  am  fully  per- 
suaded, however,  that  the  mode  of  explication  here 
brought  to  view  is  n3t  so  essentially  different  from 
some  others  which  have  been  usually  allowed  to  be 


248 


LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 


orthodox,  as  some  persons  imagine.  All  that  I  here 
intend  is  to  offer  a  few  observations  in  proof  of  this, 
for  the  satisfaction  of  serious  Christians,  who  have 
imbibed  an  early  prejudice  in  favor  of  long-estab- 
lished systems,  and  certain  human  modes  of  speech, 
and  who  may  be  alarmed  under  a  suspicion  (which 
certain  persons  of  better  information  have  taken 
pains  to  promote)  that  my  design  is  to  promote 
Socinianism  or  Arianism  ;  terms  of  reproach  which 
too  many  (and  some  without  understanding  their 
meaning)  are  ever  ready  to  apply  to  such  as  ven- 
ture to  think  for  themselves,  and  to  adopt  language 
different  from  that  which  human  creeds  have  stamped 
as  sacred,  though  the  most  remote  from  the  lan- 
guage of  the  Bible.  If  such  will  be  attentive  in 
reading,  and  candid  in  judging,  I  hope  to  convince 
them,  whether  they  fall  in  with  my  mode  of  expla- 
nation or  not,  that  I  have  done  nothing  against  the 
truth,  but  for  the  truth. 

"  According  to  Dr.  Watts's  view  of  the  present 
subject  — '  The  Father,  the  Word,  and  the  Holy 
Ghost,  are  the  one  living  and  true  God.'  To  this 
proposition,  I  give  my  ready  assent.  And  whoever 
does  so,  whatever  be  his  peculiar  mode  of  explica- 
tion, I  will  maintain  has  as  just  a  claim  to  the  charac- 
ter of  Orthodox,  as  they  who  do  it  in  the  Athanar 
sian  sense.  And  for  any,  who  adopt  that  or  any 
other  mode  of  explication,  to  monopolize  Orthodoxy 
to  themselves,  is  a  degree  of  presumption  unbecom- 


HIS  VIEW  OF  DR.  WATTS1  OPINIONS.  249 

ing  fallible  creatures,  especially  those  who  allow  that 
the  mode  of  subsistence  in  the  Sacred  Three  is  not 
ascertained  in  Scripture  ;  and,  indeed,  it  is  incon- 
sistent with  the  avowed  Catholicism  of  the  ablest  and 
best  writers,  who  are  the  most  partial  to  the  general 
Calvinistic  system. 

"  With  respect  to  the  idea  of  Personality,  as 
applicable  to  the  Father,  Son,  and  Spirit,  Dr.  Watts 
differed  from  many  Trinitarians,  as  he  denied,  (and 
I  think  with  very  sufficient  reason,)  "  that  there  are 
in  Deity,  Three  Infinite  Spirits,  or  really  distinct 
persons,  in  the  common  sense  of  that  term,  each 
having  a  distinct  intelligence,  volition,  power,  &c.  ;  " 
thinking  such  a  supposition  inconsistent  with  the 
proper  unity  of  the  Godhead  ;  which  is  doubtless 
one  of  the  most  obvious  and  fundamental  doctrines 
of  revelation. 

"  But  it  is  to  be  remembered,  that,  with  regard 
to  the  definition  of  personality,  Trinitarians  widely 
differ  among  themselves.  While  some  suppose  it  to 
be  real,  others  think  it  only  modal,  or  nominal ; 
and  others,  somewhat  between  both.  Some  of  the 
two  latter  classes  have  charged  the  former  with 
Tritheism  ;  and  to  me  it  seems  difficult  to  clear  the 
doctrine  from  the  imputation.  Nor  can  I  conceive 
what  Tritheism  is,  if  this  hypothesis  does  not  come 
under  the  description.  To  assert  a  mere  unity  of 
essence  or  nature  will  not  obviate  the  difficulty  : 
for  three  divine  persons,  or  beings,  though  of  the 


250  LIFE    OF   DR.    BELKXAP. 

same  nature,  or  —  in  other  words  —  all  of  them 
exactly  alike,  (which  seems  to  be  the  meaning 
of  the  term,  and  is  the  popular  idea,)  would  be  as 
really  three  Gods,  as  three  human  persons  of  the 
same  nature,  were  they  in  all  respects  alike,  would 
be  three  men.  Such  a  sentiment,  I  think,  ought  to 
be  zealously  opposed  as  heretical. 

"  I  grant,  however,  since  they  who  maintain  this 
doctrine  do  not  see  the  consequence,  but  utterly 
disclaim  it,  and  profess  to  believe  in  only  oxe  God, 
whom  they  worship  as  one  Infinite  Being,  through 
one  Mediator,  it  would  be  uncandid  and  unjust  to 
pronounce  them  Tritheists  ;  and  in  my  idea  it  would 
be  schismatical,  for  this  reason  alone,  to  separate 
from  their  worship  and  communion.  Many  such, 
whom  I  have  known,  I  venerate  as  the  excellent  of 
the  earth.  And  whatever  peculiar  modes  of  speech 
they  may  adopt  in  controversy,  their  language  and 
apparent  ideas,  when  engaged  in  divine  worship^ 
are  such,  that,  in  uniting  with  them,  I  literally  com- 
ply with  the  apostolic  injunction,  Rom.  xv.  6  :  \  With 
one  mind  and  one  mouth  to  glorify  God,  even  the 
Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.' 

"But  then  on  the  same  principles  I  must  censure 
those  Trinitarians  as  violating  the  laws  of  Christian 
candor,  who  upbraid  such  as  hold  the  same  general 
doctrine  with  the  opposite  heresy,  and  refuse  to  hold 
communion  with  them,  because,  on  such  a  controver- 
ted matter  as  that  of  personality,  they  express  them- 


HIS  VIEW  OF  DR.  WATTS'  OPINIONS.  251 

selves  differently,  and  choose  to  adhere  to  the  sim- 
plicity of  Scripture  language.  This  is  particularly 
unbecoming  in  those  who  adopt  the  modal  scheme, 
since  the  difference  between  them  and  the  followers 
of  Watts  can  be  but  small. 

"As  to  those  who  think  personality  in  the  God- 
head to  be  somewhat  between  a  person  and  a  mode, 
if  there  be  any  rational  idea  included  in  the  term, 
they  who  consider  i  the  Manifest  Wisdom,  and  the 
Active  Energy  of  Deity,  as  the  Word  and  the 
Holy  Ghost,'  may  with  good  appearance  of 
reason  be  admitted  as  coming  within  the  same  de- 
scription. And  they  who  talk  of  three  distinctions 
in  Deity,  without  any  definition  of  the  term,  have 
little  reason  to  censure  such  as  in  fact  equally  main- 
tain three  distinctions,  but  with  a  determinate  mean- 
ing. 

"As  to  those  who  use  the  common  Trinitarian 
language  in  the  Sabellian  sense,  (which,  upon 
a  close  inquiry,  I  have  found  to  be  the  case  with 
some,  and  have  reason  to  think  it  so  with  many,) 
they  have  little  reason  to  cry  out  '  heresy '  at  the 
mode  of  interpretation  for  which  I  am  here  apolo- 
gizing. 

"  That  it  should  by  any  be  stigmatized  with  the 
name  either  of  Socinianism  or  Arianism,  appears 
to  me  peculiarly  uncandid  and  unjust.  The  Ante- 
Nicene  Fathers  evidently  adopted  this  hypothesis. 
And  if  I  understand  the  great    reformer  Calvin 


252  LIFE   OF   DR.    BELKNAP. 

aright,  he  in  like  manner  conceived  of  the  Word^ 
and  Spirit  of  God  as  the  wisdom  and  power  of 
Deity  personified.  The  pious  Mr.  Baxter  adop- 
ted a  like  personification,  and  severely  reproves 
those  orthodox  men  who  anathematize  them  that  es- 
pouse such  a  mode  of  explaining  the  Trinity.*  Cer- 
tain it  is  that  Socinians  reject  such  kind  of  lan- 
guage, and  disavow  the  notion  of  a  Trinity  in  any 
form ;  not  now  to  say  any  thing  of  the  atonement, 
which  they  universally  deny,  but  which  those  I  am 
defending  as  strenuously  maintain. 

"  As  to  Arians,  properly  so  called,  if  I  have  any 
idea  of  their  sentiments,  they  consider  the  Logos 
and  the  Holy  Spirit  as  created  beings  ;  which  I 
think,  with  Dr.  Watts,  is  an  error,  most  manifestly 
repugnant  to  Scripture  doctrine. 

"  It  is  true,  Dr.  Watts  maintained  the  Man 
Christ  Jesus  to  have  been  a  created  being.  But  if 
on  that  account  his  followers  are  justly  charged  with 
heresy,  I  know  not  who  will  be  exempt ;  for  I  sup- 
pose all  will  allow  that  Christ  was  properly  man,  and 
as  such  created.  Some,  indeed,  maintain  that  he 
was  a  human  person,  as  really  as  any  other  man  is 
so,  and  on  this  ground  deny  that  his  Divinity  was 
a  real  person,  distinct  from  that  of  the  Father,  (for 
otherwise  there  would  be  two  persons  in  Christ ;) 
while  others  strangely  and  arbitrarily  suppose,  (to 

*  Baxter's  Works,  vol.  ii.  page  132. 


HIS  VIEW  OF  DR.  WATTS*  OPINIONS.  253 

avoid  this  last  absurdity)  that  the  method  of  Christ 
was  merely  a  created  nature.  But  both  allow  c  the 
Deity  of  Christ  to  consist  in  the  union  of  the  God- 
head and  the  manhood  in  the  person  of  Emanuel, 
so  that  in  him  God  teas  manifest  in  the  flesh?  This 
general  agreement  I  look  upon  as  all  that  is  essen- 
tial to  true  orthodoxy,  and  a  sufficient  bond  of 
union.  How  much  farther  Christian  charity  may 
safely  extend,  it  is  not  my  present  business  to  in- 
quire. I  will  only  observe,  that  they  who  have 
investigated  subjects  of  doctrinal  controversy  with 
the  greatest  care  and  impartiality  will  be  the  most 
ready  to  confess,  that  there  are  difficulties  on  all 
sides,  where  the  Scripture  has  not  explicitly  decided  ; 
and  will  see  the  greatest  reason  for  diffidence  of 
themselves,  and  candor  towards  one  another.  These 
are  two  principal  lessons  which  I  have  learned  from 
the  study  of  more  than  thirty  years,  and  these  I  am 
principally  solicitous  to  inculcate  upon  others.  If 
this  publication  should  in  any  degree  contribute  to 
answer  this  end,  I  shall  be  thankful,  even  though  it 
should  expose  me  to  the  censures  of  some  good  men 
to  whose  esteem  I  am  by  no  means  indifferent, 
though  their  charity  is  much  more  confined  than  my 
own  ;  and  whom,  whatever  they  may  think  or  say  of 
me,  I  will  love  and  honor." 


THE   END. 


A  new  Classified  and  Descriptive  Catalogue  of  Harper 
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splendidly  Embellished  Productions.  The  selection  of 
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majority  of  instances,  the  best  existing  authorities  on 
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enriching  their  Literary  Collections,  as  well  as  to  aid  Prin- 
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of  great  economy  in  price  with  neatness — often  elegance 
of  typographical  execution,  in  many  instances  the  rates  of 
publication  being  scarcely  one  fifth  of  those  of  similar  is- 
sues in  Europe. 

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S     / 


